Let Me Down Easy
by starlight-886
Summary: He stared for a brief moment, silently wondering just how either of them had gotten here. She was one half of a couple that Bluebell, if they had royalty; herself and George Tucker would be it while he was a screw up with no clear direction in life other than possibly becoming his old man.
1. We're Closed

"Are you sure you don't want me to stick around to help?" Shelley asked as she threw her jacket on. Wade momentarily paused from putting all the chairs on top of the tables.

"I'll be fine Shell. Have yourself a goodnight." With the salute of his hand, he bid her goodbye as she let herself out of the closed down Rammer Jammer with an uneasy smile.

It had been a steady Saturday night after the miraculous homecoming win of the Bluebell Gators the previous night, the excitement had seemingly passed over. Which meant that the bar had been packed from five in the evening til closing as everyone wanted to relive the glory with cheap beer, rowdy music and good people.

While the residents of Bluebell enjoyed the ambiance, Wade slaved behind the bar without a break which in turn left the floors filthy with dirt, spilled food and various other items that he wasn't looking forward to cleaning up. Before getting down to business, Wade turned the jukebox on and sang along to the familiar country ditties filling the vacant, dimly lit bar. Begrudgingly, he reached for the broom and began sweeping the mess in and around the tables.

He was almost finished when a light knock broke him from his thoughts, before he had the chance to ask who was there he heard the door open.

"We're closed." Wade drawled, releasing a heavy breath. He was met with no reply but the light click of heels against the hardwood floors gave away who it was without him even having to look over his shoulder.

He didn't bother turning around, he wasn't in the mood to deal with whatever drama was on the menu today. The woman was for lack of a better word, a handful, to say the least.

More than likely it had something to do with their prank gone wrong on Jimmy Praboo several days ago, and how she didn't want him to include George on his childish endeavors. Though, it was also plausible that it had to do with his New York born and raised neighbor and what issue Lemon had with Zoe this week.

"I forgot my purse here earlier, I was wonderin' if I could get it back." Lemon stiffened at his less than enthusiastic tone, almost second guessing her motives of dropping by. Though if she had to wait on the people of Bluebell over the Homecoming weekend, she'd surely be exhausted by the end of the day as well. She took a few more hesitant steps into the bar before she stopped herself and subconsciously played with the buttons on her pale blue cardigan.

"I think you forget how I can always tell when you're lying." He pointed out with a sardonic chuckle, catching her in her white lie. Wade would've surely noticed if she had been in the Rammer Jammer, either by her bright blonde hair and pale complexion or by the tumultuous sound of her laugh. He had heard it far too much in the past to not be able to recognize it.

Lemon's mouth went dry while she wrecked her brain to save herself from the embarrassment of being caught but Wade beat her to it. "Why are you really here, Lemon?"

"Don't you remember our tradition?" Her typically saccharine speech was currently sheepish and withdrawn. "Homecoming? Surely you haven't forgot." His back was still facing her as she sniffled and felt the wetness remaining on her eyelashes.

Wade rotated on his heel so that he had a clear vision of the southern belle. He instantly took note of her tear stained cheeks, ruined mascara and red nose of the typically pristine looking woman. Despite his reluctance, he motioned to the empty stools that sat in front of the bar. Lemon thanked him with a halfhearted smile before seating herself on top of one of the withered pieces of furniture.

Wade took his regular spot behind the bar, quickly serving her, her favourite drink all the while opening a bottle of the cheapest beer for himself. "So why now?"

Lemon frowned at him, as if wordlessly telling him she didn't understand his question. "What do you mean?"

Wade sighed heavily, Lemon always did make things more difficult than they had to be, he had learned that the hard way. "We haven't spent homecoming together in who knows how many years, Lemon. Why now?"

Truth be told he knew exactly how many years it had been since they had spent homecoming together, but he wasn't about to show his hand quite yet. Not until he knew the intentions of her impromptu late night visit.

Lemon was caught off guard by Wade's less than cordial nature. However, she had become somewhat used to it since the pair had drifted apart and they adopted a more bantering relationship than the kinship that had once been there.

"Spending time with you and George, it brought back memories." She glanced at him with pleading eyes. "I miss our tradition." The southern belle said softly as Wade leaned his body against the counter and recalled the beginning of their friendship at the ripe age of seventeen.

_"Come on, Jacky." Wade paced impatiently in the back alley of the Rammer Jammer. In the midst of his eager pacing, he failed to notice the familiar female heading his way. He felt his shoulder bump into something hard, and heard a small gasp of surprise.  
><em>  
><em>"For heaven's sake Wade what on earth are you doing?" Lemon's right hand came to rest over the left side of her chest. She could feel her heart quicken in pace due to her surprise at finding Wade hanging out in the back alley. <em>

_"You scared me half to death!" She exclaimed as her heartbeat returned to normal. All she had planned to do after opting out of playing with Magnolia, was to take a peaceful walk around town by her lonesome. _

_Given the fact that earlier in the day the Homecoming game had taken place most, if it not all, the town were busy celebrating the win of the football game. Older folk were sure to be inside the Rammer Jammer, reliving glory days of victories past. Though, if they were Lemon's age, they'd be enjoying the annual dance being held in the school gymnasium._

_"Sorry about that." Wade chuckled, his pearly white smile shining bright even despite the black night around them. "Just waitin' on somethin' to celebrate with." He nodded his head towards the backdoor of the Rammer Jammer which was usually pried open with a chair to allow air to flow through the obscenely warm kitchen._

_Lemon was momentarily stunned to find someone, other than herself, who had opted out of attending the dance. The fact that it was Wade though, was somewhat concerning given that he had run the final touchdown which led to Bluebell's mirthful victory. However, the same could be said for her as she was the head cheerleader and cheered her team to victory each and every game with a happy smile._

_Lemon quirked an eyebrow at him, all the while crossing her arms over her chest. "Somethin' or someone?" She clarified to which Wade laughed._

_Everyone was aware that he had become quite the heart breaker since making the starting line up. He was that guy that all the girls loved for his sweet southern charm, albeit without a filter like George, and toned athletic body. He relished in it, or so he pretended to. She had heard countless stories about him from her fellow cheerleaders. Even as much as they bad mouthed him, he was George's best friend, he couldn't be that bad._

_"Both actually." He drawled, leaning his body up against the back of the bar. Lemon rolled her eyes, and was about to turn on her heel to continue her walk when a loud clatter by the backdoor of the bar stopped her from doing so._

_Lemon turned her gaze towards the male silhouette struggling with several garbage bags. She recognized him as Jackson Kearney, an ex-football player who's dream of playing in the NFL died soon after he graduated three years ago due to a career ending injury. He dumped the bags into the large garbage bin then grabbed a brown paper bag that he had put aside before ridding the trash._

_The ex-football player began walking towards the pair, his eyes taking in Lemon's slim figure with a satisfied smile. Wade chuckled at Lemon's sheer look of discomfort before taking the brown paper bag from Jackson._

_"I owe ya man." Wade peeked in the bag to make sure that his request had been filled. With a nod of approval, he slipped a twenty from his pocket and handed it over to Jackson's eager hand._

_"Good doin' business with you, Kinsella." Jackson graced them with a polite smile before heading back to work. But not before casting one glance back at Lemon and flashing her a perverted smile. "G'night."_

_"Someone likes ya, Lemon." Wade wiggled his eyebrows to which she crinkled her nose at the idea of letting Jackson getting even remotely close enough to touch her._

_"What's in the bag?" Lemon enquired, pushing the atrocious thoughts behind her. Wade flashed her one of his infamous smiles before leaning closer to whisper in her ear. Lemon backed away from him but he motioned for her to come closer. With a hesitant look, Lemon did as she was asked._

_"I'm gettin' drunk." He amusingly whispered. Lemon took a step back, narrowing her eyes at the young man before her. Wade lifted a six pack of beer from the brown paper bag and shot her a curious look. He slowly began backing up towards his pick up truck parked several feet away._

_"Don't make me drink by myself, Breeland." He smiled as he watched Lemon nibble on her bottom lip, clearly contemplating her choices. "Lemon...get in the truck." He commanded, speaking to her as if she were a canine and he were her master._

_Lemon's blonde head tilted to the side, her long blonde curls moving to one side."Wade Kinsella, I know you're not telling me what to do." She shot him a point look, everyone in town knew that Lemon Breeland listened to no one but her daddy. Even then she somehow found herself getting her way. She had several males wrapped around her dainty little finger, one of the few exceptions being the boy calling over her to join him._

_She could hear his amused laugh from where she stood despite the fact that he had now reached his truck across the parking lot. He had the beer safely inside the cab, but his body hung out the open driver's side door as he called to her._

_"And what if I am?" He challenged while Lemon remained where she stood. "You know what? Forget it. I should have known Miss Lemon Breeland wasn't crazy enough to go drinkin' illegally." He waved her off before looking to get inside of the pick-up. Just before he shut the door, he looked back at her with a confident smirk on his lips. "Come to think of it maybe she wasn't even crazy enough to pull off that Gleason prank."_

_Lemon's mouth hung open and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She knew that Wade was only attempting to get her riled up so she could prove him wrong and he'd receive a drinking partner because of it. Despite knowing his true intentions, she still felt the urge to prove him wrong, just for her own satisfaction."I honest to god did, ask anyone."_

_Wade shrugged casually before popping himself into the drivers seat, and shut the door behind him. "I can't be sure, I never saw you with my own eyes." With the flick of his wrist the blond football player revved the engine of his truck then placed his hand firmly on the stick shift._

_"Wait!" Lemon yelled with a pained expression on her face. Wade's eyebrows rose upwards but motioned towards the empty passenger seat._

_Twenty minutes later they were parked in a secluded wooded area which in merely an hour and a half would surely be full of the beat up cars of the Homecoming dance attendees with their respective dates. The pair were lounging in the back of Wade's pick-up, he was already one and a half beers in meanwhile Lemon was still nursing her first. Truth be told she wasn't much of a beer drinker but as soon as Wade doubted her infamous prank, her thirst for proving him wrong kicked in._

_"So tell me, why is the head cheerleader and shoe in for Homecoming Queen sittin' here barely drinkin' her beer?" Wade quipped with a goofy grin, Lemon forced a smile before glancing down at the bottle she held close to her body._

_Lemon mustered a weak shrug of her shoulders before setting her eyes on the wide receiver to her left. "Same could be said for you, I recall you scorin' the winnin' touchdown earlier today. I'm sure everybody is wonderin' where you are."_

_"So we're gonna play that game huh?" Wade quirked an eyebrow before taking a swig of his beer. When she gave a simple nod of her blonde head, he licked his lips clean of the beer that lingered._

_"Honestly..." He began, noticing the straight faced glare he was on the receiving end of. He'd be lying if he said her death glare wasn't the least bit frightening, she could go from happy and smiling to glaring at him as if he were next on her list of prey. Lemon Breeland was something else that was for damn sure, he just wasn't sure what that was. "I didn't have a date." He answered with a mild frown._

_Within a split second of him revealing his reasoning for not attending the school dance, Lemon burst out into a fit of feminine giggles. She had her head thrown back as her chest rumbled with amusement. Wade simply stared at the blonde who had been staring him down since he had literally run into her in the parking lot and now she was laughing at his misfortune._

_"I didn't tell you so you could laugh!" He pouted slightly before turning his body away from her and swallowed a mouthful of carbonated liquid._

_Lemon regained her composure and forced her lips closed, muffling her laughter in her throat. "I didn't mean it like that." She drawled slowly, reaching out to wrap her small hand around his arm. Wade peeked at her over his shoulder but didn't commit to turning around. The blonde sent him a pointed look before clearing her throat._

_"I didn't want to just go with anyone, alright? Isn't a guy allowed to have standards anymore?" He defended himself with a slight pout on his lip. Meanwhile Lemon simply smiled, either because she didn't believe a word he was saying or because she was shocked at his sudden change of heart regarding the girls in their small town._

_"You? No." She quipped with that confident smirk of hers. If she hadn't been taunting him, he would've almost found it cute. Lemon sighed, seeing that Wade wasn't budging. "I simply meant you could get any girl you want and you're sittin' here claimin' you don't have a date. It's hard to believe that's all. Okay?"_

_Wade paused for a short moment, taking in the indirect compliment she had just given him. One side of his mouth moved upwards, forming a cocky half smile. "Lemon, I do believe that's the first compliment you've ever given me." She shook her head and with a roll of her eyes the southern belle brushed it off as nothing. Even though both of them knew that it was a step in the right direction._

_His half smile only widened until it was a full blown, blinding grin. The two had never been terribly close, they hung around the same circle due to the fact that George was his best friend and Lemon had taken a liking to him once they turned fifteen. There was also the fact that they were both apart of the jocks and cheerleaders crowd, it wasn't elitist like some high schools were but most often than not if you found a cheerleader there was sure to be a jock not too far behind._

_"We need to document this shit." Wade said suddenly, ready to hop off the tailgate but Lemon grabbed his arm before he could._

_"I'm sure you'll never let me forget it." She answered pointedly. Wade considered it for a short second before nodding his head in agreement, knowing full well he'd bother her incessantly about her choice of words until she was driven to the brink of taking them back._

_"So..." Wade kicked his feet in the air, lightly skimming the tips of the grass with the toe of his shoes. "I told you why I'm here." He gently nudged his shoulder with hers before a somber undertone took over their party for two. Lemon's eyes flickered to her right, suddenly finding the rusting back end of Wade's fathers truck more interesting than the question she knew he was about to ask._

_"Why aren't you at the dance gettin' your crown?"_

_Lemon felt her chest tighten and her eyes begin to water. Before she could even get the words out, she found herself letting the tears fall freely. She attempted to wipe them away before Wade noticed but they just kept falling._

_"Whoa, now. I didn't mean to make you cry." His voice was ridden with alarm and his body language told her that he was clearly uneasy with her sudden sobbing. She felt his hand awkwardly rub her back, almost as if he had never comforted someone before._

_When her sobs get worse, Wade hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He kept it loose cause this was Lemon and if she didn't want him touching her, she would surely make it known in true Lemon fashion. However, instead of pushing his arm away and demanding for him to take her home like he assumed, she moved herself closer to him. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, the collar of his plaid button up collected the tears.  
><em>

_Surprise wouldn't even begin to describe what he was feeling as she gripped tightly onto his shirt. He had never seen this side of the blonde haired southern beauty before. He had seen cheerleader Lemon who consisted of smiles and gracious charity work around the small community; crazy Lemon was someone who only came out when she was really done wrong, ala Mrs. Gleason and the cow that had suspiciously found its way into her classroom; motherly Lemon was the girl who did her homework on Thursday nights so her whole weekend was clear to babysit Magnolia while their father worked. _

_Those three faces were the only ones she ever showed to the world, so to see a completely new side of Lemon was almost unheard of. Though if he were a betting man, he would assume that it was one of two things that was causing the magnitude of heartache pouring out of her. Either it was George, who Wade knew was at the dance with Cindy Killigan, or it was the pain of going through her first teenage milestone without her mother around to see it._

_He held her there for several moments until her cries withered down and they were merely sniffles. "Lemon?"_

_Lemon pulled herself from the comfort of Wade's shoulder to peer up at him. Her cheeks were flush and her eyes had become slightly puffy and red. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me." She replied with a small hiccup then proceeded to cover her mouth. She wiped at her eyes before moving onto fixing her long but now messy blonde hair._

_"This doesn't have anything to do with George does it?" Wade questioned watching the southern belle's eyes light up at the sound of his best friend's name. He knew before she even answered that George wasn't the reason. "And don't lie, I can see right through you."_

_Lemon forced a tight lipped smile before lightly shaking her head. "No, it doesn't."_

_He could practically hear the anguish in her voice and that's when he took initiative and pulled her closer to his side. He knew that the stubborn Lemon Breeland would never ask for his sympathy, she would only take it if he offered it. He tightened the hold he had on her as she sniffled and rested her head in the crook of his neck once again._

_"Parents suck." Wade blurted out, speaking from experience. Lemon stifled a laugh but nodded her head in agreement. He let her cling to him for a moment longer before he burst up from his seat, nearly knocking the poor blonde over in the process._

_Her wide, tear rimmed blue eyes stared at him as if he had gone crazy._

_"This..." He motioned to her tear stained face. "is not happening." Without another word spoken, Wade dashed to the front of his truck, half of his body leaned inside to flick on the radio. Lemon sat idly in her spot wondering what exactly the meaning of his sudden out burst was and why 'Something Like That' by the Tim McGraw was playing in the background._

_"Come on." He held his out and nodded towards the empty spot of grass next to the truck. Lemon gave him a sideways glance before reluctantly slipping her hand into his. She could feel the callouses that were surely from working with his hands. George had always told her that Wade had a love of fixing up cars and just about anything he could get his hands on._

_"What are we doin'?" Lemon asked softly, her eyes briefly darting up at the starry sky. Letting them linger until she felt one of Wade's hands find it's way onto her hip._

_"I figure the only way to get you to stop cryin' your pretty little eyes out is to bring the dance to you. Distract you from what's really botherin' you." He offered with a proud smile, Lemon however only heard one particular aspect of his statement._

_"You think my eyes are pretty?" Lemon was taken aback by his passing compliment, the night was full of firsts for both of them apparently. A hazy smile played on her lips as she waited for his reply. Instead of playing her game, Wade simply threw his head back to laugh at her predictable nature._

_"Just dance, would ya?" Wade's hand pushed lightly on her hip, sending her feet backwards just as he twirled her in a circle._

_Lemon's eyes widened and her lips spread into an impressed smile, something that was not easy to get from her. She slapped him lightly on the chest._

_"Who knew Wade Kinsella could dance!" She exclaimed as if it was a miracle that a guy like him knew how to move his feet to music. A light laugh escaped her mouth before she let herself sway along with the upbeat music. Their feet moved effortlessly in sync, albeit slightly off beat to the up tempo music but Lemon wasn't about to complain in his attempt to cheer her up._

_"Don't you dare tell nobody or I'll-" He began but she promptly silenced him._

_Lemon leaned in closer, her gaze steadily locking with his. "Or you'll what?" She challenged while Wade simply stared back at her. His mouth was slightly parted as he found his eyes focusing on the soft pink of her lips curving up into a sweet smile. "That's what I thought." She giggled before laying her head on his shoulder as the music had switched to a slower melody._

_"So what would you be doing right now if you were at the dance?" Wade asked rhetorically, he knew the answer but wanted to see how she would answer. In the midst of waiting he cast his eyes up at the starry October sky, feeling as though the current scenery was better than any cheap decorations from the local corner store could provide._

_"Dancin' of course. What else would I be doin'?" Lemon replied. Wade felt the blonde's body shake slightly as she released a small giggle at his question._

_"Nah, you'd be starin' at George while he danced with Cindy Killigan." Wade chuckled as he sensed Lemon's body tense at the mention of his best friend with another girl. He ran a soothing hand along her back until he felt tension ease up. "I'd notice those blue eyes of yours locked on him right away then I'd swoop in to steal Mouse's date away and leave him all for you."_

_"That's rude." Lemon argued, though there wasn't much fight behind her words. He assumed she was simply saying it to make it sound like she didn't harbor feelings for the quarterback._

_"Lemon, Mouse may be my best friend but he's oblivious as all hell." Once again Lemon's slim body shook with laughter before the two were left in a comfortable silence as they swayed along with the music._

_Several silent moments lapsed before Lemon managed to let two very courteous words pass her lips. "Thank you." She nuzzled her head closer to his neck. Wade's hands tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him._

_"You made tonight a lot better than I expected. I truly appreciate it." Lemon breathed, her words coming out as if she were on the brink of falling asleep. He could feel the warmth of her breath against the exposed, slightly chill skin of his throat._

_"Anytime." He replied, hoping that she hadn't heard the faint hitch in his breath._

"I don't even remember why we stopped." She pointed out as her fingertips subconsciously spun her glass full of orange juice and champagne in a faint circle.

With a blank face, Wade crossed his arms across his chest. "George came home from New York, ya'll got engaged and then you turned into a Stepford wife on crack." Lemon's head snapped up just as quick as he expected it to, and when she did, he flashed her a bright smile.

Her face held a stern look, almost reminiscent of the one he received the night of homecoming. Wade had known the southern belle long enough to know that the simple notion of him smiling at her would only fuel her already uptight nature.

"I'm not a Stepford wife on crack." She defended solemnly, almost as if she had lost her true will to fight with him which was very unlike her. Her pink painted lips were pressed into a thin line but it wasn't until he caught sight of more tears welling up in the corners of her eyes did he start to feel bad about teasing her.

"If that's really what you think of me then I'll be on my way." Lemon pushed her more than half full glass towards him before shifting on the stool, the friction of the stool against the hardwood floors made a loud screeching sound. She smoothed the invisible wrinkles out of her dress before wiping at her tear stricken eyes. "I came here because unlike everyone else in this town, I knew you wouldn't judge me. I guess I was wrong."

Wade was left momentarily speechless, he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings as much as it appeared he had. He had merely meant to give her a hard time because that was the way their relationship had been the past three years. Lemon made a snide comment to him and he'd make one right back, and vise versa.

"Lemon!" He called after her but she continued towards the door. Wade quickly moved himself out from behind the bar, with a frantic shuffle of his feet, he beat Lemon to the door. He slipped his body in between her and the exit, making it so she wouldn't be able to leave without him letting her.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Wade confessed sheepishly as Lemon's eyes remained focused on the beaten up floors. "You're not a Stepford wife on crack." He quipped in a gentle tone, curling a finger underneath her chin until she was forced to look him in the eyes. When he knew he had her attention, his lips curved upwards into a half smile.

"Think of it this way," He loosened the hold of her chin, as Lemon's blue eyes bore into his. Wade's tongue ran lightly across his bottom lip, and he could have sworn he caught her staring as the taste of the lingering beer filled his mouth. "the craziness is apart of the Breeland charm."

She let out what sounded to be a mix of a cry and a laugh but due to the smile on her lips, Wade figured she found it more humorous than insulting. Lemon turned her face so that Wade's fingers no longer held her chin in place. "Stop starin' at me, I look like a mess." She expressed in a weak voice, he hadn't noticed the fact that he was staring.

Wade played it off casually and looked away briefly. Once the awkward moment passed, he shifted his eyes back to her as he tilted his head to the side and quirked an eyebrow. "You hungry?" He asked, feeling his food deprived stomach ache.

"I should be going." Lemon forced a smile as she attempted to step past Wade but he blocked her every move. After several unsuccessful getaways, she raised her eyebrows curiously.

"Get your ass in that seat, Lemon. I won't hesitate to throw you over my shoulder and put you there myself." He cast her a warning look, as if challenging for her to test him but she knew better than to try. He pretty much gave her no choice in the matter so with a defeated breath, Lemon retook her spot at the bar much to Wade's satisfaction.

Fifteen minutes later, the pair were seated at the bar, nursing their respective drinks and each with a sandwich that Wade claimed as the best in town. Lemon still considered hers as the best in town, but she wasn't about to bruise Wade's ego when he had generously offered her nourishment.

They were exchanging old high school stories and Wade had just told her the story, in excruciating detail, of Jimmy Praboo's infamous heat rub prank on her fiance. She tried her best to remain sympathetic towards George but the longer Wade went on about it, the harder it became. By the time he reached the end, Lemon was biting down so hard on her lip to contain herself, that she thought she might puncture her lips. Giving into her temptation, Lemon let out wild burst of laughter, her body violently shaking with pure unadulterated amusement.

Wade didn't bother to hide the smile that crept its way onto his lips at the sight of typically uptight and frantic nature of Lemon Breeland had disappeared. The carefree, vivacious girl beneath the hard outer surface was shining through and he couldn't be happier. It gave him a moment to realize why had fallen for her in the first place several years ago. He watched her until her chuckling died down and she was merely smiling at the memory.

Despite the mediocre sandwich in her stomach, Lemon was two and a half drinks in and was beginning to feel it. Her eye lids began feeling heavy with the amount of alcohol that was flowing through her blood. If she drank anymore she'd surely lose control and that was one thing she wasn't willing to let go of, especially with Wade staring at her the way he was. With a firm hand, Lemon pushed the half empty glass away from her and towards the other end of the bar.

Wade was too busy smirking to himself to notice. "I can't believe that was twelve and a half years ago." He commented from beside her, before taking a long swig of his beer. Lemon looked over at him hazily, before shaking her head.

"I don't even want to think about how long its been." Lemon turned her body on the stool, her bare knees lightly grazed Wade's as she did so. "I wanted to be married with babies by thirty." She brought her elbow up to rest on top of the bar as she held her head up.

Wade smirked before leaning in closer to the blonde who looked like she was about to pass out. "Did ya forget that you're engaged, Lemon? I know I'm irresistibly charming and all..." He trailed off and stifled a chuckle when her expression shifted to one that looked as if she were eating something sour. He'd be lying if he said it didn't hurt to see her react like that.

"Wade, please." Lemon shot him an exasperated look before she exhaled a deep breathe. "George and I keep putting the wedding off. Sometimes I wonder if it'll ever happen. Am I just wastin' my time?" She pondered aloud, not expecting him to answer her question but for Wade, the temptation was there.

"Is that what's botherin' you?" Lemon silently nodded her head.

"I try so hard to be the best fiancee, Wade. I do." The slight crack in her voice was reminiscent of the one he had heard many times before she broke down into uncontrollable sobs. "His mother hates me. Maybe mine did too, and that's why she left."

Before she had a chance to even shed a tear, he got to his feet and held his hand out to her. Lemon's sad blue eyes locked on his open palm before they glanced up at his face. He nodded his head towards a fairly large open space between the tables and that just so happened to be in front of the jukebox.

"C'mon, don't leave me hangin'." Wade offered with a subtle wink. She laughed lightly to herself through tears before slipping her soft hand into his and letting him lead her there.

Despite her tired appendages, Lemon let herself be taken onto the open hardwood floor. She instantly attached herself to Wade's chest, resting her head just underneath his chin while one of her arms curled around the back of his neck.

"Just so you know, I'm only doing this cause I can't stand seeing girls cry." He whispered softly in her ear as one of his hands came to rest on her hip just as the other encircled hers which had found its place on the right side of his chest. Their feet shuffled ever so slightly with the slow paced melody of the song.

"Liar." She mumbled, just loud enough for Wade to catch. His chest rumbled with a deep chuckle.

Once his laughter had ceased, Lemon could feel Wade's heartbeat against her cheek, the lull of it was making her even more drowsy. A content smile crossed her lips as she took in the comfort one small action brought her. Her finger tips mindlessly, albeit lightly, scratched at the base of his neck.

"I missed this." He breathed, confirming her suspicions. His words came out effortlessly despite his hesitance to speak them aloud.

The woman in his arms was engaged, and to his best friend no less, he couldn't let feelings of the past emerge. Wade had spent years pushing them aside and for a while he thought they were truly gone and were only a moment of weakness on his part. However, the ease and contentment of his current situation proved that they were all the more real.

"This may sound absolutely insane but..." She paused for a moment as her hand clamped tighter on the back of his neck, her manicured nails slightly digging into his skin. "...sometimes I feel like you know me better than anyone in this town. Including my daddy." Lemon smiled softly, the irony of her truthful words hadn't been lost. Who would've thought that the boy she always claimed to be dimwitted and a womanizer, would be the only man to understand her in all her faults and flaws.

Wade was utterly floored with Lemon's admission, sure they had known one another for a long while, but he never thought he had gained so much trust in her. However, as flattered as he was with the compliment, a larger part of him was growing frustrated due to the fact that she had no idea how deep his feelings for her went.

"Lemon you should go." He spoke the words softly as to not make it come out too harsh. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel worse but he was killing two birds with one stone. Saving himself from a world of heartbreak, while also saving the engagement that she held so dear.

The blonde's head snapped up, the crown of her head barely missing his chin due to their close proximity. Her bright blue eyes were sending him a confused expression.

"I thought you were gonna cheer me up?" She sounded like a lost child, he even watched her bottom lip, expecting her to pout but it never came. Instead he tortured himself by staring at her quick witted mouth.

"You have a fiance to do that, Lemon." Wade's hand fell from Lemon's waist, touching her was far too dangerous with his current state of mind.

Lemon's eyes fluttered as her mouth dropped open into a small o shape. "What in heavens name is wrong with you?" She snapped, her brows furrowing.

"I can't be that guy for you anymore, Lemon. I just can't, I'm sorry." He laid out the cold hard facts with her, she didn't realize the toll it took on him to have her so close. It was far easier for the both of them to go back to the way they had been for the past year and half, fake smiles with a snide remark to match.

"So what are you tryin' to say?" Her lips were now pressed into a tight line which told him she was getting angry. However, her eyes gave away the fear and hurt she was feeling. "Go back to the way we were before?"

Wade silently nodded his head as Lemon swallowed the lump in her throat. "Well then," She began in a faux, chipper voice. A drawl he had become all too familiar with over the years. "I'm sorry to have bothered you." Lemon turned on her heels faster than he expected, her blonde hair brushed lightly against his cheek.

Without another word, Lemon marched loudly towards the exit. It wasn't until she had a hand on the door that she made a sound. Wade casually glanced over just in time to catch a glimpse of her in the window, her face once again wet with tears. Only this time they were because of him. Another sound, a whimper, left her throat as she looked back at him through the glass before letting herself out.

Wade let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as he watched her slim retreating figure until she disappeared into the dark night. As he continued on with his duties, he kept telling himself that tomorrow was a new day. Which meant that he would go to work like normal then somehow between slinging drinks and chatting up the customers, pretend that Lemon Breeland meant nothing to him.

* * *

><p>Should I continue? I'm not sure if this'll be just a one-shot or if it will somehow turn into a multi-chapter thing. :|<p> 


	2. Give 'Em Hell

Wade avoided Lemon Breeland like she was the plague for the next four weeks. Some might think it was a difficult task to do with the quaintness of their town but in fact, it was far easier that way. The small town of Bluebell was always a buzz with some sort of event or weird little tradition. Luckily for him, Lemon was ambitious enough to be a second generation of both The Belles and Memory Matrons. Which kept the blonde southern belle busy with planning everything from the Turtle Race right down to what type of tree would be front and center in the town square for the upcoming holiday season.

However, before Christmas came along, there was Planksgiving.

The one holiday that Lemon had never quite gotten into. She participated like any good Bluebell resident did but Wade knew that it wasn't on her list of favourite events. In fact it was more than likely near the bottom with Mothers Day, a day of which Wade had witnessed the slim woman intoxicated on more than one occasion.

Suffice to say he hadn't been too surprised when he spotted her in the midst of his grocery shopping, not for himself of course. He relied on Lavon, or the Rammer Jammer, for all of his nutritional needs. He was there for his Mama's classic potato salad recipe to bring to the Planksgiving Day celebration.

He had been in the process of grabbing some decent sized red skin potatoes when he caught sight of her bright blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. He peaked over at her as she examined a bunch of celery before moving along the table of produce. Her manicured fingers skipping along the edge as she walked. She stopped in front of the crowns of broccoli as her hand tore a plastic bag from the roll above her head.

Wade ran his tongue lightly over his lips before throwing the potatoes into his basket and marched over to her. He stopped next to her somewhat abruptly, causing her head to snap over in his direction. Her blue eyes instantly narrowed, her lips pursing ever so slightly.

"Fancy seein' you here." He joked with a bright smile which only seemed to anger her more. Wade let it fade the moment he noticed her lack of friendliness. He blinked several times as he was frozen in place. "I'm sorry for bein' an ass." He apologized, quietly.

Lemon kept her lips pursed as she cleared her throat, her eyes resting on the table of vegetables in front of her rather than himself. "What ever do you mean?" She cooed sweetly before tossing her bagged broccoli into her own basket that was hooked around her arm. With a charming but forced smile, Lemon stepped around him and continued on with her shopping.

Wade threw his head back with an exasperated sigh before turning on his heels to follow after her. She was moving quite quickly towards the display of apples, Wade barely missed nailing Reverend Mayfair's wife, Beverly with his basket of necessities. With a rushed apology to the kind woman, he paced towards the blonde in the seemingly Thanksgiving colored floral dress near the back of the grocery store.

"Lemon, would ya slow down." He hissed once he was within a few feet of her, her posture promptly straightened as he spoke. "I almost took out the Reverend's wife." He commented as if it had been a truly deadly situation, hoping to get her to at least crack him one of her 'I'm-not-supposed-to-find-you-funny-but-I-do' smiles. Instead he was met with cold glare and enticingly red pursed lips.

"Wade, I'm quite busy right now." She began as she prepared another plastic bag for her own use. "You look like you are as well, and I would hate to ruin any of your precious time." She shot him a courteous smile before grabbing an apple and roughly tossing it into the bag.

"I'm sorry." He muttered before looking around the store to see who was around them. He turned back to find her silently throwing apple after apple into the bag, and all the while staring him down. "You're going to bruise those apples-"

"It's been four weeks and two days, Wade." She snapped, briefly pausing in throwing in the next apple. Wade's eyebrows rose in surprise at the fact that she knew down the wire of how long the two of them had gone without speaking. "And yes, I counted." She sneered before turning to Beverly Mayfair who was passing the pair and flashed a bright smile.

The annoyed look returned once the Reverend's wife was out of view. Wade figured the two of them could've stood there and had a staring contest until nightfall but the overflown bag of apples that Lemon held fell to the floor. He watched her suck in a large breath and held it. Her cheeks held the faint hint of red embarrassment, though it was hard to tell through her manufactured pink blush on the apples of her cheeks.

She released what resembled a cry before bending down to capture the fallen fruit, Wade followed suit, kneeling down across from her. Lemon's hands briefly brushed against his, his eyes shifted over to the blonde who retracted her hand almost instantly. He tried to read her expression but in true Lemon fashion she had perfected the art of being indecipherable.

Once the bruised and damaged apples were picked up off the floor, Lemon made up a new bag before dashing across the back end of the grocery store. Wade, of course, followed close behind, hoping to get a word or two in before she was finished her shopping. Though if worse came to worse, he was done with his and could always pester her in the check out line up but the risk of having witnesses was far too great.

"Would you just talk to me for two seconds?" Wade called as she casually sauntered down an aisle before stopping in front of the displays of gravy.

Lemon was in the process of reaching for something but instead froze midway before turning to him with a tight lipped smile. "What would you like to talk about? How you completely made me feel stupid for even thinking you'd be a friend to me or how about how you waited over a month to even mutter a simple apology to me. Tell me, Wade. What would you like to talk about?" She blinked several times as the clearly forced smile on her face remained present.

Wade was simply lost in words. "I've been-" He paused wrecking his brain for any excuse in the book, he knew that the true reason was far too damaging to even say aloud. "busy." Was all he could muster. He had in fact been busy, albeit mainly due to his own doing. He had taken up more shifts at the Rammer Jammer, hanging out with Lavon and also annoying the crap out of his cute brunette neighbour with a PhD.

Lemon raised one brow at him as she held a look of disbelief. "As am I right now, George's parents are in town and they're insistin' that we have a traditional Thanksgivin'" She turned back to the array of gravy mixes. "Now, if you don't mind. Clora and I have a meal to prepare."

Wade's face crinkled into one of disgust and confusion. "Clora?" He questioned at the mention of Clora Tucker. As far as he remembered that woman could barely stand be in a room with Lemon. Wade's hand lightly grabbed Lemon's arm when she attempted to walk away. "Since when do sworn enemies cook together?"

Lemon's head snapped back, her not quite shoulder length blonde curls bouncing in the process. "We've had a break through." She revealed softly as Wade loosened his grip on her arm, her saccharine speech was upbeat. The hopeful look in her eyes only made him realize how right he'd been in making her leave the bar several weeks ago. George made her happy, being apart of his family caused that dreamy almost childlike gaze that he saw in her blue eyes. He wasn't about to let his feelings get in the way of that.

"I was avoidin' you." He admitted guiltily, he looked down to the worn laminate flooring, ashamed. "I was afraid you'd be mad. Clearly I was right about that." Lemon was silent for a beat.

"Well you'll be happy to know that George is taking a job in Montgomery and we'll be relocating there and only be in Bluebell a couple days a week. George will be Senior Associate..." Lemon almost sounded sad as she told him this. Wade's eyes snapped up to rest on her, surprise didn't even begin to describe what he was feeling. It was one thing to live in the same town as her but not speak, it was completely different for her to live in another town and possibly not see her for days on end.

"And Clora and I will be like mother and daughter." Her happiness peeked with her last statement which Wade would've found odd if he hadn't known about the extend her of motherly issues.

She offered a faint smile before grabbing the packet of gravy she needed and made her way down the aisle. Wade stayed two paces behind her, close enough to talk but not close enough so that people assumed they were together. She swiped a can of cranberry sauce off the shelf just as she reached the end of the aisle.

"You ever made a traditional Thanksgivin' meal?" Wade asked with a taunting tone, opting for a more lighthearted conversation.

"My dear Wade, of course I have." She cooed sweetly but cast him a wary look. Wade threw his head back in laughter, knowing that she was replying the same way she had when Clora Tucker had suggested the idea. "I can cook but I've never cooked that much at one time." She explained, already sounding stressed and she hadn't even begun.

"You said ya'll had a break though right?" Wade drawled just as Lemon turned to look back at him with a bright smile and an eager nod of her head. "It'll be a bonding experience then." He finished with a chuckle.

"And what about you? Whatever are you shoppin' for?" Lemon quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him all the while casting him one of her intense stares that always made him uncomfortable.

"I'm makin' my mama's famous potato salad recipe for Planksgiving, just because I won't be attending, I don't want the good residents of Bluebell to suffer." He answered with a cocky smile.

"You aren't goin' to Planksgivin'?" Lemon's brows moved downwards this time into a frown. "Why's that?" Her blonde head tilted to the side as bright blue eyes stared up at him.

Wade exhaled a large breath, unsure if he truly wanted to answer her question. "I'm driving Zoe to the airport. She's goin' home for the holidays." He revealed and watched Lemon's eyes slip away from him and her lips purse together at the mention of the female doctor.

"I see." The southern belle's jaw clenched slightly.

Wade laughed uncomfortably, his nerves getting the best of him. "Lavon had this insane idea that I like Zoe. Like like her, ya know? He suggested that I should drive her to the airport to tell her before she leaves." He ended his long winded explanation with an awkward shrug. Lemon's lips twitched slightly, traces of a smile forming but she never let it break free.

"Do you?" She promptly questioned, her blue eyes slowly shifting over to him. He suddenly felt very much on the spot. Of course he held an attraction to Zoe, what man in his right mind wouldn't? Hell, even George seemed to have some sort of attraction to her. Wade opened his mouth to reply but Lemon beat him to it.

"I guess Lavon might have a point." She began as she mindlessly wondered down the next aisle. Wade was walking next to her, watching as her fingertips slid along the edges of the shelves. "She is kind of perfect for you...as much as I hate to admit it. Full of personality and..." Lemon paused as she attempted to think of an appropriate word to describe the dear Doctor. "spunk. How many other girls in this town can you say that about?"

Wade's lips curved into a subtle half smile. "I can think of a couple." He muttered, referring to the woman to his left. Wade said it loud enough for her to hear but the words seemed to go right over her perfect blonde head.

Her mind was clearly on her large feast and the new impending family that she had been promised once she became George's wife. Lemon was just about to line up at the check out behind Beverly Mayfair when she glanced down into her basket and frowned. Wade stood idly behind her, waiting for the reason but was left in suspense.

"Forget somethin'?" He asked casually, catching Beverly peak slyly back at them before the young girl at the register offered her a pleasant greeting.

Lemon silently nodded before heading back towards the produce section, Wade followed. He wasn't sure why, he had given her the apology that he had been wanting to and things between them seemed to be back to normal, what else could he possibly do for her?

Lost in his thoughts, Wade didn't notice Lemon abruptly halt. It took him gently bumping into the back of her before his mind was back to earth. He was about to ask her what her issue was but her eyes were locked on something in front of her. The bartender followed her gaze until they rested on the Tuckers standing not too far way, helping themselves to some of Bluebell's very own produce.

"Aren't you going to say hi to your future in-laws?" Wade joked as he whispered lightly in her ear. Lemon shot him a pointed look before taking a step towards Harold and Clora. However, the couple seemed to be in the midst of conversation so Lemon paused before intruding.

"I can't believe George caved so quickly, nice work today." Harold smiled to his wife. Clora chuckled lightly.

"Well I knew Lemon was key to gettin' him on board. I practically had to promise to breastfeed her to get her over on our side." Clora said before the two of them continued their way through the produce section. Lemon, however, turned quickly on her heel and hid herself behind a large display of cereal boxes.

Wade peeked around the display to find a somber faced Lemon, eyes sparkling but not in the way that he liked. Her breathing quickened, causing her chest to heave and her nostrils flare angrily.

"You alright?" He asked despite knowing that by her mannerisms that she was far from okay.

Lemon shifted her gaze to him. "She used my insecurities against me, Wade. Who the hell does that?" She spat, her cheeks burning red. Meanwhile her eager blue eyes pleaded for him to give her a legitimate reason behind Mrs. Tucker's actions but he fell short.

"Don't get sad." He replied, locking his eyes with hers. Wade looked around them before he dipped his head closer to her, letting the next statement roll off his tongue quietly. "Play her game too." His tone was firm and sparked the fire that had been ignited by her fiance's parents.

"Oh, believe me, Wade. I plan to." She confirmed as her eyes darkened, and a devilish smirk began inching its way across her painted lips. "She's not the only one who can play dirty." The blonde inahled a strong breath before smiling politely at him.

"I thought crazy Lemon wasn't comin' out anymore?" Wade cocked an eyebrow at her as she straightened her posture, and glanced around the display of cereal to watch the Tuckers make their way through the cashiers check out.

"Just be glad you're currently on my good side." Lemon commented lightly with a pleasant smile, though Wade knew that it was true. Despite all of their disagreements in the past, he had never gone as far as to use her insecurities against her thus he had never truly been on her bad side. The pair watched as George's parents left the market. Almost instantly, the southern belle slipped her basket off her arm and held it out for Wade to take.

"Would you mind takin' this for me? We're not havin' a traditional Thanksgivin'." A wicked smirk present on her lips before she turned on her heels to leave. "Good luck with Dr. Hart!" She called over her shoulder, though he could tell she didn't really mean it and was just saying it to be polite.

"Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes." Wade chuckled before calling out after her as she was just about to step out of the store."Give 'em hell, Breeland." He commented with a wink which caused a faint giggle to escape her throat.

"I always do." She drawled smoothly before offering him a cute half smile on her way out the door.

Begrudgingly, Wades found himself smiling dumbly through out the remainder of the day. Lavon didn't hesitate to make comments to him through out the afternoon, all of them on the topic of Zoe. Wade had to bite his tongue to keep from telling the former NFL linebacker that his dopey grin wasn't because of the tiny brunette from New York but rather the tall blonde that was born and raised in Bluebell. The same woman that he had shared many heated discussions with, one that claimed to hate him and he her.

But due to the current situation, her being engaged to his best friend, Wade was slowly coming to terms that his feelings were just that of a crush that would never be reciprocated.


	3. What Are Friends For?

Several weeks had passed since Wade had found himself chasing after the frantic blonde known as Miss Lemon Breeland in the Bluebell market. Planksgiving had come and gone, as did the festivities that came along with it. Zoe Hart and George Tucker had proved to be the true saviors of the Bluebell holiday, but Wade had heard the epic tale of the prim and proper Lemon Breeland chastising Mr. And Mrs. Tucker for their rude behavior. George had told him that Lemon even dropped a H-bomb before angrily storming out leaving two very baffled and speechless in-laws in her wake.

With every ending of a holiday, only led to the beginning of another which in this case meant the most important one of all, Christmas. Wade had been graced the pleasure of finding the perfect Christmas tree for the town square. It was to be grand in stature, but not over powering. Lush and full but not bushy, as per the request of the one and only Ms. Lemon Breeland.

Due to his own stupidity, Wade had found himself locked in a jail cell with George Tucker. The two friends coming to blows over Zoe Hart and though George didn't know it, Lemon Breeland. Both women seemed to have a soft spot for the small town lawyer, and Wade found it unfair that he held on to Zoe while he had already promised his life to Lemon.

After the heated confrontation, and the countless hours spent in the very uncomfortable nine by nine cell, Wade was ready to be done with his day. Upon stepping inside, he stripped himself of the clothing that he had been stuck in for the last twenty-four hours. And unfortunately for him, his day wasn't over yet due to the fact that he had a late shift at the Rammer Jammer right after the crowning of the Miss Cinnamon Cider Pageant.

Wade wasn't in his gatehouse for more than ten minutes before he was right back out, fresh out of the shower, a new set of clothes and his keys in hand. The keys made a jingling sound as he spun them around his finger and a light whistle escaped his lips. He was just about to open his car door when he heard the crunching of the dirt road, signalling that he wasn't alone. Not so far off in the distance he caught sight of perfectly styled golden blonde hair on the opposite side.

"Lemon?" Wade called as he watched the blonde haired female freeze in place before turning around. She was quite far away and it was now dark so he couldn't tell if it was her but judging by the fact that she responded to the name, he assumed he was correct.

* * *

><p>The moment Lavon Hayes shut the dark wood door in her face, Lemon felt as if she had had the wind knocked right out of her lungs. Another person who she thought would always be there for her was turning their back. Her legs felt as if they were about to give out from underneath her. In small shuffling steps, she backed herself up against the railing of the porch, gripping desperately to the secure wooden pillars. Her body was wracked with another round of sobs as small feminine grunts of anger and frustration left her throat. The saltiness of her tears lingered on her lips and tongue.<p>

Her cheeks were stained with tears as she was sure her silk blouse was as well since she could feel the salty liquid stream down to her jaw and then seemingly disappear. With one look back at the closed door, Lemon forced herself to stop crying as she began to head back to her cherry red vehicle.

She could feel the warm Alabama breeze blowing lightly against her body and the twinkle of the Christmas lights adorning the surrounding greenery of the mayor's front yard. As the dirt road crunched beneath her feet, Lemon felt as if she were a lost child, unsure of where to go or who to ask for help. Her sinuses were stuffy, and her eyes were more than likely rimmed with the unattractive redness that typically occurred when her emotions got the best of her.

She had been so consumed in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed one of Lavon's two tenants standing outside his house, that was until he chose to call out her name.

* * *

><p>"Are ya lost?" Wade cracked an amused smile as her frail frame began moving towards him slowly. His amusement was short lived as he mentally kicked himself for calling out to her. Wade was supposed to be distancing himself from her and closer to Zoe Hart, someone who was actually available.<p>

The moment Lemon heard Wade call out her name, she felt as though her heart had stopped and her stomach churned. She had been so consumed in her emotional breakdown that she had wandered from Lavon's porch to her car unaware of the bartender lurking closely about.

She just prayed to the lord above that he hadn't seen her on the porch of Bluebell's mayor. The last thing she wanted to do was get into that long and complicated story. Luckily for the blonde's sake it was dark and the only light came from Wade's small porch several yards away.

Lemon contemplated dashing to her car and taking off, but something inside told her to turn around and find solace in the man who had been there for her in the past. The southern belle cleared her throat, getting rid of the lump that had formed.

"I was in the neighbourhood." She forced herself to say, in an attempt to mask her emotional overload. Her delivery wasn't exactly convincing but if Wade's dumbfound expression was any indication, it seemed to work.

"Pretty sure it's about ten miles out of your way." Wade furrowed his brows while Lemon remained silent. He let out a heavy sigh before rubbing the back of his neck and took several steps towards her. Wade wasn't at his most cheerful but he'd be damned if he were to leave Lemon alone in the dark.

"Look Lemon, I just spent the past twenty-four hours in a jail cell with your fiance, I—" He stopped mid-sentence upon taking in the sad, disheveled appearance of the thin southern belle. Her eyes were slightly red, and it was a damn near miracle that her mascara wasn't running like the girls from the movies typically had.

In any other scenario, anyone who knew Lemon, knew that she wouldn't be wandering around in public without making sure she was anything less than presentable. However, seeming presentable was the least of her worries at the moment and Wade could see that by the deeply sad woman in front of him.

"Can I come in please?" The blondes mumbled request was reminiscent of a scared child asking for permission to do something they weren't allowed to do. Her sad blue eyes were practically begging for him to say yes and if Lemon Breeland was good at anything, it was getting what she wanted.

"Yeah, I have an hour to kill before my shift." Wade said before moving out of the way for her. She moved slowly towards his front door, stopping only when he had to unlock it and held the door open for her. She took several small steps inside Wade's gatehouse before planting herself in one spot, her thin arms wrapped securely around herself.

"It's kinda messy." He mumbled and casually attempted to pick up the scattered clothes but it made little to no difference with the extent of the chaos. "I wasn't expectin' company."

"It's fine." Lemon assured. Ignoring the fact that if it were any other day she'd surely tell him that living in the midst of a pig sty was no way to live. Luckily for Wade, she had several other things on her mind and his cleanliness was definitely not one.

Wade stood awkwardly, unsure of what to say since what was making her so upset was still unknown to him.

"Ar—are you alright?" He asked softly, not wanting to startle her, to which she broke out into more tears. "Whoa." Wade said as he held up his hands as if something he had done had triggered it.

"I saw her, Wade. She's thirty miles outside of town and with a new fa—fam—I can't even damn well say it." Lemon couldn't quite spit out the word 'family' to describe the new people in her mothers life because for thirteen plus years, it was herself, Magnolia and Brick that were Alice Breeland's family.

Wade took a step closer while her fragile shoulders shook in sync with her sobs. "Saw who, Lemon?" He furrowed his brows in confusion. Clearly he hadn't been updated on the happenings of Lemon Breeland because he was completely and utterly lost.

"No one, it's not important." She mumbled almost inaudibly to herself, her eyes darted everywhere but at him. Her sobbing had ceased, and she was slowly trying to pull herself back together.

The bartender stared blankly at the blonde as the room was filled with a stark, almost eerie silence. Lemon brushed away the tears from her cheeks and pursed her lips together, seemingly embarrassed over her sudden outburst.

"I—I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me." The uptight southern belle lightly dabbed at her eyes while her lower lip trembled. "I sound like a ramblin' fool."

"Lemon, it's fine." His features softened at the mess of a woman before him. Though he didn't say it aloud, he couldn't help but wonder why her behavior had become so erratic as of late. "You wanna to sit down for a drink and tell me what the hell is goin' on with you?" Wade offered kindly by pulling out one of the chairs at the small, weathered kitchen table.

Lemon smiled lightly before shuffling silently over to the chair and getting comfortable. The bartender silently moved past her, garnering a curious gaze from Lemon. With the flick of a switch, the small gatehouse was filled with the soft sound of the local country radio station.

"I'll have sweet tea if you have it." The blonde requested but was met with a look of disapproval.

"Darlin' it's whiskey or beer. So what d'ya feel like?" Wade asked with a quirky grin as he looked through his small collection of alcohol. One would think that being a bartender he'd surely have his place of residence well stocked but growing up with a father that drank til the last drop in the house was gone. Wade opted to stick to beer and one or two bottles of hard liquor just in case of emergencies like this.

"Whiskey, I guess." She huffed with a defeated sigh and before she knew it a small glass of whiskey was put in front of her along with a couple of tissues. Her blue eyes peered up as she flashed him a faint smile of thanks before reaching for the tissues.

Wade turned the chair across from her around before lounging on it backwards with a glass whiskey for himself in hand. He stared at her for a short moment, watching her dab at her teary eyes with one hand and spin her glass along the table with the other. Meanwhile, Wade took a generous amount of whiskey in his mouth, wincing slightly as he felt it burn his throat but enjoying the sensation all the same.

"Another?" Wade asked, noticing she had all but chugged the glass he had given her. Lemon's blue eyes glanced down at the empty cup, somewhat surprised at her speedy downing of the drink.

She wouldn't consider herself much of a drinker but the craving for alcohol in her blood hadn't yet been satisfied. Lemon nodded her blonde head before running her fingertips along the table top as Wade poured her another drink. Once he was finished, he pushed the glass towards her just as he wiped up the spilt whiskey.

"How'd the pageant go?" Wade asked, almost cringing at how stupid the question sounded when it was written all over her porcelain face. However, he decided that small talk would be easier to get going rather than divulging into the real issue that had turned her into the emotional mess from several moments ago.

Lemon cracked a small smile, she appreciated that he didn't demand her to tell him what was on her mind, she'd divulge when she was ready. That had been why she had come to Wade in the first place, he was easy to talk to and made her feel at ease whenever she was in his presence. For the most part anyway.

"Just peachy. I went head to head with wouldn'tchya know it, Doctor Zoe Hart. Always has to stick her nose in somehow." Lemon's sarcastic tone of voice didn't go unnoticed, in fact, Wade was positive that even dimwitted Tom Long if he were present, would've picked up on it.

"Don't ya need to be in high school for that thing?" Wade quirked a curious brow her way as Lemon shook her head.

"She was coachin' Rose Hattenbarger like I was with Magnolia. I let my feud with Dr. Hart get in the way of makin' Magnolia feel like this was about her, you know like my mother used to..." The blonde breathed, in a state of mind where she was scolding herself and feeling as if she could do no right. "Am I a terrible person, Wade?"

A bemused chuckle escaped Wade's throat and a slight smirk lingered on his lips but soon disappeared when Lemon shot him a less than amused glare. His face went straight just before he rose his brows.

"You're seriously askin' me that?" He questioned, somewhat shocked that she was asking him what kind of person she was. As far as he was aware his opinion hadn't seemed to matter. Lemon's delicate, manicured fingertips that traced the rim of the glass stopped at his question, her blue eyes shifting upwards, wordlessly telling him that she was dead serious in her line of questioning.

Wade let out a large sigh before speaking. "Lemon, you're not a terrible person. Are you a little difficult to deal with? That's puttin' it lightly." Lemon's eyes went wide and her mouth parted slightly due to his brutal honesty but he cut her off before she had a chance to interrupt.

"Are you high strung and the biggest perfectionist I know? Without a shadow of a doubt. But you know what? You mean well and care about those that are lucky enough to be close to you. So whatever is goin' on with your mother, it's her loss that she doesn't get to see the woman you've grown up to be." He concluded with a wide grin so she knew he was sincere in what he was saying. However, a part of him was yet again cringing at the cheesiness of that words that had escaped his lips. "And that's all the cheesiness my stomach can handle tonight." He finished his long winded speech with his last mouthful of whiskey.

One side of Lemon's pursed pink lips curved upwards and her eyes softened. "Thank you, Wade."

He could've sworn he saw her faintly blush at his compliment before he downed the last bit of whiskey left in his glass and shot her a quick look. Lemon's curious gaze lingered on him before she brought her glass to her lips to hide the shy smile forming behind it.

"What were sayin' earlier about a jail cell?" A perfectly shaped brow was quirked his way. Wade let his chuckle rumble lightly in his chest before informing her further.

"Uh, well let's just say that lookin' for your perfect tree was a little harder than expected." His eyes shifted up to take in her guilty expression and he instantly felt guilty for putting it on her. "Not that you had anythin' to do with us spendin' the night in jail."

A faint smile crept onto Lemon's lips before she pursed them back into a straight line. "Trespassin' I assume." She muttered with a hint of amusement. "What in heavens name did y'all do for twenty-four hours?"

Wade's mouth curved into the crooked smile of his just as he leaned across the table towards the blonde. "Well Lemon if I told ya, that'd be breakin' the promise your fiance and I made to never speak of it." Wade let his smile linger, all the while giving her the wrong ideas. He leaned back to his former position and watched her features turn into ones of confusion and worry. "We actually had a good chat, George and I."

Lemon's eyebrows rose in surprise as did her anxiety. "About?" She had been trying to have a conversation with George for weeks but luck hadn't been on her side. Every time she got close to catching a moment of his time, something came up. She was beginning to think that George just didn't want to talk to her since he seemed to have time for Wade and even Zoe Hart.

Wade paused for a moment, thinking his words over carefully. "He did most of the talkin', I just sat there and listened to him go on and on about how much he loves you." Wade explained with a casual roll of his eyes. "Sickenin', really." The last thing Wade wanted to do was have Lemon feeling even more insecure. Telling her of his and George's discussion of Zoe would only do more harm than good.

Lemon's posture straightened and a hint of a smile played on her lips. "You're lyin'." She muttered with a weary look.

"Believe me, I wish I was." He replied with a light laugh to hide the painful truth that left his lips. "I'm assumin' he's not aware of any of this." Wade turned the topic a little more serious as Lemon's head dropped and her eyes were downcast to her neatly folded hands.

"We've haven't been in a good place lately." She revealed with a meek tone, slightly embarrassed that she had troubles speaking to her own fiance. After all she was Lemon Breeland, she wasn't supposed to show the world that she was having problems. She thrived on being perfect and everything in her life following suit. It wasn't until recently that she realized it was more exhausting than it was beneficial.

"So you come to me?" Wade chuckled, amused on the outside but underneath it all, confused.

Her piercing blue eyes shot up with a warning glare."I don't take kindly to you laughin' at me, Wade." Without a sound, Lemon pushed her chair out and quickly got to her feet. She immediately felt lightheaded due to the pure alcohol that was now surging through her bloodstream. Her hands gripped the edge of the table before she slowly lowered herself back onto the chair.

"Careful, Breeland. You downed that whiskey pretty damn fast." He was clearly amused by her almost accident as evident by the pearly white grin beaming at her.

"Sorry if I feel like I can tell you just about anythin'." She continued as if she hadn't almost lost her balance. If she as good at anything, it was recovering quickly and appearing as if she hadn't been phased at all.

"Just about anything?" Wade prodded with a devilish smirk to which Lemon fought the smile that was threatening to cross her mouth.

"A girl never reveals her secrets." She countered with her signature Breeland sass and pursed lips to boot. Wade let his smile fade as he got up

"With all due respect Lemon, I think you should talk to George." He pointed out, letting his head speak over the sudden rush of alcohol pulsing through his veins. "He's your fiance and by some grace of god he loves ya, so don't screw that up. Alright?"

Her blonde head shot over to him with narrowed, icy blue eyes. "Thanks for the pep talk." Lemon scoffed with a slight edge to her tone before looking away, clearly in no mood for his attempt at jokes.

"I'm jokin' Lemon." He began to repair the damage. "It's quite obvious why he loves ya. You're opinionated, feisty as all hell and you're you know...easy on the eyes." Wade suddenly said after a silent beat passed between the pair. He had let his feelings speak before his head and drinking straight whiskey wasn't going to help that. Before he got himself into a irreparable situation, Wade got up from his seat to take his empty glass over to the sink.

"Sounds like you're describin' Zoe Hart." Lemon quipped but her smile lingered as she stared down at her second glass of whiskey. She was unsure if she was upset enough to finish it off. Her mind was telling her to quit while she was ahead but the need to forget about her entire day was strong. Without a second thought, Lemon rose, albeit slowly, to her feet and made her way over to the kitchen sink to pour out the remaining liquid.

"Well that's a waste." Wade cracked with a knowing half smile as he looked over at the blonde. Her face was downcast into a somber expression, looking just as lost as she had when he found her broken on his doorstep. "You two have more in common than you might think."

"I've already had a bad enough day, please don't make it worse." Lemon mumbled with a slight pout, looking like a sad child rather than the strong woman he knew she was. Wade threw his had back in laughter before wrapping a casual arm around her delicate shoulders.

"She ain't that bad ya know." He shared, his mind partially still on his and George's conversation inside the small confided cell. Most prominently on George insisting that him and Lemon were meant to be and would remain that way until the day one of them took their last breath.

After his best friends assurance that Zoe was simply a reminder of his past life in New York and Lemon as the real deal, Wade was now more than ever eager to take a chance with the young female doctor. After all, the woman before him was spoken for and by his best friend no less. Even for a man with as few morals as himself, making a move on his best friends girl was not something he would ever do.

"You're just sayin' that cause you like her." Lemon shot back with a little bit of venom in her tone, giving him a glimpse of the woman he had become accustomed to over the past year.

Though Wade was fairly sure the venom in her voice was meant for Zoe and not himself. After all she had no reason to be upset with him, he was free to do as he pleased. He was an eligible bachelor who was always on the prowl, though he had been proclaimed a lifelong bachelor by many. While she had a loving fiance who was the striking image of what she had always wanted in a man.

He shrugged, playing it off, but by Lemon's less than convinced look that he caught out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that she wasn't having it. The thin blonde to his left was far more perceptive than the people of Bluebell gave her credit for.

"Honestly, I'm not surprised you like her, she seems like your type." Lemon drawled casually, surprising both of them by her semi-nice comment towards Zoe. He was just waiting for her quick turn around, the nice comment that was typically soon followed by a halfhearted insult. "She's feisty and opinionated so she'll keep you on your toes if nothin' else."

He knew by the look on her face that Lemon was threatened by the good doctor. Surely if she saw some potential in the New Yorker, her fiance did as well. After all George and Zoe shared a bond over the city that never slept that neither himself or Lemon would ever quite understand.

"Sounds like someone else I know." Wade nudged his shoulder with hers, silently telling her that the two arch enemies held a similar trait. He watched Lemon's face scrunch up briefly before relaxing into a very faint smile.

They stood like that for several minutes with only the radio playing in the background. It wasn't until Wade felt her bony shoulder brush his arm did he realize that she swaying along with the music while a light hum left her naked pink lips.

Before Lemon had a chance to get a word out, Wade had one hand wrapped around her wrist and gently pulled her out into an open space on the floor. He hesitated at first, unsure of how to go about holding her. Wade didn't want to offend her by doing something she deemed inappropriate, with him being the way he was and she the way she was, the chances of that were high.

In the midst of his thoughts, however, she had taken it upon herself to move her body close to his. Her head immediately found its familiar spot on his shoulder while her arms hung loosely around his neck. Wade cracked a small smile to himself before snaking his hands around her waist, feeling the silky fabric of her blouse on his fingertips.

A faint sigh escaped from her pink lips, though Wade was unsure if it was one of contentment or one of worry. He lightly rested his scruffy chin on top of her head of blonde curls, letting himself get lost in the music and the moment. He felt her inhale a deep breath before she spoke.

"I couldn't stop thinkin' about my mother today, especially when I was with Magnolia." Her sweet southern drawl whispered almost inaudibly over the music. Wade remained silent but rubbed her back gently to tell her that he had heard her and was waiting for her to continue. He felt the woman in arms take a long winded breath before continuing.

She slid a hand down his arm and gripped it tightly as she pulled herself back to look at him "My mother lives in Daphne. I found out last year, but I went to see her today. She—she has another family...another daughter, Wade." There was a slight crack in her perfectly enunciated speech which then led to her burying her face in the crook of his neck.

It took Wade a moment to digest Lemon's big news, it definitely explained a lot of her wishy-washy behaviour within the past several months. It took him another moment to realize that George clearly had no idea about it because the way she broke so easily to him, told him that she was desperate to talk to someone, probably anyone, about it. Wade had just happened to have been the closest warm body.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered softly into her blonde hair as his fingertips rubbed circles against the silky fabric of her lose fitting blouse. Wade had a hard time coming up with anything other those two simple words, he should have been used to comforting her but he was at a loss for words.

They remained like that for several minutes, he could feel a slight dampness where she laid her head but from what he could tell it was minimal compared to times past. By the time Wade caught sight of the clock out of the corner of his eye, their feet were barely moving anymore and her tears had stopped a least a song and a half ago. If Zoe or Lavon were to catch them in their current position there would surely be an endless amount of intense questioning involved.

"We should probably get goin' I have my shift and you need to be there when Magnolia carries on the Breeland tradition." Wade gripped her hips lightly and broke their embrace, Lemon managed a faint smile on her pale, slightly chapped lips.

"You think she will?" A slightly gleam crept into her blue eyes at the thought of Magnolia carrying on the Breeland women tradition. It was then that Wade knew that Lemon would be okay. She had her real family, the ones that didn't leave her when things got hard. The ones that loved her despite her faults and flaws.

"I won't lie to ya, Lemon. A part of me is rootin' for the underdog." Wade cracked a smile at the thought of geeky little Rose Hattenbarger winning the pageant. Though by the look on Lemon's face, she took his comment in reference to someone else.

"You really like her don't you?" Lemon's blue eyes met his, her curious gaze studying his features. By her reaction, Wade knew who she was referring to but he wasn't quite sure if he was ready to commit to an answer. "Dr. Hart, I mean." She clarified in a soft voice.

"On the other hand, I also happen to have a soft spot for the Breeland girls." Wade's smile only widened as Lemon rolled her eyes, a clear sign of the Lemon he knew making her residual comeback. Lemon shuffled towards the door as he removed his keys from his pocket and followed her outside.

"I appreciate you listenin', Wade." She said softly as the pair stood on his dimly lit and very cluttered porch. Wade couldn't help but notice how severely out of place she looked dressed in her silk blouse and long flowing white skirt with the array of old car parts, tools and random odds and ends that didn't fit inside his compact home.

"What are friends for?" He said casually, catching both of them off guard. Ever since her showing up at the Rammer Jammer, the pair hadn't yet acknowledged what they were to one another.

They had once been what Wade would constitute as friends but they had since drifted apart and continued on with their lives. George was the one thread that connected them. With any other person, Wade would've surely said they had worked their way back to being friends but Lemon wasn't just anyone. Lemon didn't have a large quantity of friends and that was mainly due to the large wall she had put up many years ago.

"Yeah...friends." A Cheshire like grin inched across Lemon's lips as she shyly looked down to the ground. What Wade didn't know was that Lemon had never thought of him as anything other than a friend, even with the months they didn't speak.

Without a word, Lemon took several steps towards him. Her hands slipped onto his shoulders as she ever so slightly rose on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on Wade's scruffy cheek. He felt his breath catch in his throat merely by her close proximity. Before pulling away she wrapped him in a loose, friendly hug before taking a few steps back to look at him with complete sincerity.

"Dr. Hart would be lucky to have a guy like you." A soft, genuine smile stretched across her lips as she brushed some blonde curls that had fallen out of her clip behind her ear.

Wade hadn't intended to but he found himself staring at her in awe. His eyes took in her flush cheeks, only exaggerated by her soft pink blush, and sparkle that danced off her jewelry when it caught the light from his porch. It astounded him how even despite the numerous amount of tears that had been spilled she still looked better than most girls on their good days.

"Even if, bless her heart, she doesn't deserve it." Lemon mumbled just loud enough for him to hear and he fought the temptation to smile. Not because he thought it was funny nor true, but because even despite her shattered nature she still had that bite in her tone that was distinctly her.

"Lemon..." Wade started in a warning tone, Lemon flashed a modest smile before turning on her heels. He watched her make her way down the small set of steps and half way to her car before she cast one last glance over her silky shoulder.

"G'night Wade." Her sweet southern drawl said as he smiled back with a faint nod of his head.

* * *

><p><em>Stay tuned cause the next chapter will be centered around episode 1.14 which was filled with Lemonade moments. 3 In the meantime let me know your thoughts in a review? Thanks to all my new subscribers and commenters, love you all.<em>


	4. You Deserve Better You Know

"_Maybe you should stop bein' Lemon Breeland for a night."_

Those ten words that left Wade's lips were surely ones that Lemon predicted she'd be regretting by the end of the night. She wasn't quite sure why she had agreed to Wade's proposal, she more than anyone else knew better than to take advice from Wade. Maybe it was the excitement gleaming in his boyish yet playful eyes. Or possibly the quirky but cute smirk that slid across his whiskey stained mouth.

With a quirked brow and a halfhearted attempt at a smile, Lemon questioned him further with a piqued curiousity."What did you have in mind?" She drawled slowly as Wade's smirk only widened.

Not so long after, Lemon found herself dressed down (which was quite the adjustment for her) in a short jean skirt. A piece of clothing that she could easily see Dr. Zoe Hart parading around town in but instead it sat tightly on her own hips, letting everyone get a good look at her long model-like legs. A matching denim vest with a white wife beater covered her torso and her typically short bob was now long and luxurious. All thanks to the extensions that Magnolia had left over from her Scarlet costume from the Miss Cinnamon Cider pageant.

The only good thing about her outfit was her brand spanking new pair of red cowboy boots that were making their first appearance, unfortunately it wasn't quite the occasion she had in mind for their debut. It added a bit of excitement to a night that Lemon typically would've been unsure about, it wasn't much but it helped her cope.

Despite her initial acceptance of his proposition, Lemon couldn't help but feel slightly nervous as she descended down the stairwell to show Wade what she had put together. The entire time she was crossing the hall from her bedroom, she couldn't help but think how it was reminiscent of the first date jitters. The imminent anxiety of wondering what her prospective date thought about her overall appearance was a constant issue.

Truthfully she hadn't been in the position in ten long years, George had become somewhat predictable over the course of their relationship though she made sure she always looked presentable. She was known for always walking around town with her head held high and a happy, inviting smile on her lips. And it was because of that, that she knew that she not only looked, but felt beautiful. However, in her current state, she really felt out of her element.

Her awkward stance on the small landing of the stairwell clearly gave her away. As the sinking feeling crept into her stomach, Wade looked back at her, she could've sworn she saw his eyes darken slightly. A cheesy yet sly grin spread across his lips and if that hadn't told her she'd done well, he was more than happy to let her know himself. Even going as far as calling her hot to which she reacted like a classic shy school girl and blushed while his eyes took in her long exposed limbs.

The blonde southern belle had a difficult time hiding her own smile, and most of alll, fighting the fit of girly giggles leaving her throat. The way he was looking at her was unlike anything she'd been on the receiving end of, from him anyway. George looked at her like that occasionally, but she decided not nearly enough given at how easily excited she became when Wade did it.

She threw him her denim jacket as he broke out into masculine grunts of appreciation, one thing Lemon thought she'd never be happy to be on the receiving end of. If it were any other day she would've told him to keep his barbaric grunts to himself but she was basking in the giddiness his words had set off so she let it slide.

"What're you smilin' about over there?" Wade commented to his blonde passenger. Lemon was buckled, as buckled as she could be in the passenger seat of the old fashioned vehicle of his. She had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she was stupidly staring out the window with a goofy and uncharacteristic smile upon her lips.

She pursed her lips together, erasing the evidence of her grin. "Nothin'." She drawled in a low voice and turned her face away. Lemon composed herself before looking back at him, a pensive look taking over her features. She wasn't sure if she should tell him or not but the words felt like they were burning on the tip of her tongue.

"George knows about everythin'. We finally communicated." The blonde fought the urge to smile by biting down on her lightly glossed lip.

"I'm proud of you, Lemon." Wade forced out with an enthusiastic grin, but in reality he knew that the days of Lemon running to him were now just memories. Once George knew the truth, surely the southern belle would now be running to her fiance. Even though that's how it _should _havebeen from the start, Wade couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. "Things are goin' well then?" Wade cocked a curious brow her way but it was pretty evident by not only her body language but by the look in her sparkling blue eyes. She was happier and as much as he tried, he couldn't be upset about that.

She nodded her head before turning the tables on him. "Speakin' of relationships, what happened with you and Dr. Hart?" Lemon questioned out of curiosity. She had heard and even read that Zoe Hart and Judson had called it quits soon after the Sweetie Pie dance. Whether or not Wade had anything to do with it was still a mystery to her though Dash DeWitt's blog strongly hinted that he was the straw that broke the camels back for the young veterinarian.

Lemon watched Wade's scruffy jaw tighten and his body shift in his seat, signalling his discomfort. "Well, funny story..." He began slowly, looking over to her quickly to crack a smile. "there was a slight speed bump." Lemon quirked a brow but kept her lips pursed together as Wade continued to squirm under her gaze.

"What did you do?" Lemon sighed with a pointed stare. Wade's eyes went wide and the urge to take his hands off the wheel to hold up his hands in mock defense were strong. However, with him being behind the wheel he fought that urge and settled for a baffled expression.

"Why do you automatically assume I did somethin'?" Wade defended as if he were completely innocent and her assuming otherwise was absurd. However, Lemon's pointed stare didn't let up and he knew that he'd been caught, she knew him better than that. "Alright, alright. I may have said I put money on when her and Judson would break up..." He casually shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal and turned the car into the parking lot of Tricky Rick's bar and grill.

Lemon plastered a faux smile on her lips as she shook her lengthy blonde hair. "Sweet naive Wade..." She began in a sing song voice just before she pulled out her compact from her purse and began powdering her nose and chin. "when will you ever learn?" She quipped with the raise of her brows as Wade let the truck come to a sudden halt. Lemon's body propelled forward and felt the friction of the seat belt burn against her exposed shoulder.

She threw Wade a narrowed glare but he kept his eyes directly in front of him, fighting the urge to laugh at her misfortune. She was unsure of whether or not it was intentional, either way sympathy was clearly far from his mind.

"Sorry about that." He drawled smoothly as he killed the engine of the car. The faint hint of a smirk on his lips told her that he wasn't as apologetic as he claimed to be but Lemon let it slide. At least for the time being.

The small incident in the car was soon forgotten as Wade informed her of her new identity; Ms. Roxy Rumlin, originally from Daphne, Alabama. Lemon wanted to shoot him a look of disbelief as he brought up her mothers current place of residence. Lemon, however, decided against it as she was pulled into the bar and all was soon forgotten when her attention was turned elsewhere. She caught a glimpse of the crowded bar, as if on cue her mouth went dry and a lump began to form in her throat. It didn't take long for her feet to follow suit and then stop moving completely.

With a bewildered look and a calm tone, Wade assured her that she had been the one to come to him and tell him of her predicament. Lemon had a hard time arguing back since he was right, she had gone to him, and she had wanted to live a little but there was no way she'd let him know that. He took a couple of steps towards her, telling her she didn't have to worry that the good folk of Fairhope would find out her true identity.

His hand wrapped itself around her elbow as he guided her towards the bar, all the while trying to calm the wound up blonde down. Lemon put up a fight, she even went as far as pulling out her hand sanitizer to tidy up her chosen spot. She knew she was making things difficult for Wade but it was part of their repartee, they drove each other crazy but it was typically all in good fun. It wasn't until the person they were looking for showed up that she did as she agreed and slipped into character. She even went as far as uttering the words 'sugar lips' in regards to her childhood friend then proceeded to down several shots of whatever alcohol the bartender wanted.

"I'll be right back." Wade excused himself from his spot at the bar a half an hour later. He was halfway through his second beer, while Lemon was one beer down and attempting to finish off her second. In between her two beers she had downed a handful of shots and even goaded him into having one which he reluctantly took since she didn't need another.

"Hurry back sugar lips." Lemon mumbled. Her tone was sultry, surprising both of them with the amount of huskiness that came through. She pressed her lips firmly together Wade's gaze shot down to Lemon's thin perched body, alarmed at her words and how she phrased them. Her large blue eyes were staring up at him hazily through a thick fringe of black lashes and a slight half smirk on her perfect rose lips. A smirk that she had surely stolen from him over time.

He'd never thought in a million years that he'd be sitting with Lemon Breeland in a bar and have her looking up at him the way she was. Though to ease his mind he chalked it up to the handful of shots she had chosen to ingest and the exhilaration of the facade that they were putting on. Despite those reasons, he still enjoyed being on the receiving end of it and he had to bite down on his bottom lip to fight the satisfied grin threatening to make its appearance.

With a lingering yet amused look, Wade turned on his heels and went on his way. The woman two stools over merely smiled as she, along with Lemon, watched Wade leave to head to the mens room. Lemon turned back to the beer in her hand before glancing over at the beaming bottle redhead close by.

"You two are so cute." She drawled slowly, a dreamy look in her caramel hazel eyes. Lemon guessed she couldn't be older than twenty-two, every inch of her reeked of a newly legal bar rat. A girly giggle left the perky young throat before she asked the bartender for another drink. When her empty glass was taken away she chose then to speak up. "How long have y'all been together?"

Lemon was slightly caught off by the bold question but kept her wits about her and flashed a meek smile. "Not long, a couple weeks." Lemon drawled casually, hoping to sell her story without any further questioning. She was already in over her head in making up a period of time, she just hoped the girl across from her wasn't the overly curious type but Lemon had a feeling it was quite the opposite. "We've known each other since high school."

The redhead frowned slightly which Lemon caught right away, and tilted her head to the side. The young woman's face shifted from the frown back to a wide white grin. "I don't mean to frown, it's just would've thought longer." She finished with a perky giggle just as a fresh drink was put down in front of her. "With the way he was lookin' at you and all." She added before taking a mouth full of alcohol.

Lemon couldn't lie, her curiosity was piqued. Even if it was an observation from a girl several years their senior and probably barely had any real romantic history herself. "How was he lookin' at me?" The young woman suddenly had Lemon's complete attention, and no one around her was going to distract the southern belle from getting this information.

"He had that sparkle in his eye." Lemon had to resist from bursting out into a gut busting fit of laughter, Wade with a sparkle in his eye was farfetched but for him to look at her like that? Well that was damn near unheard of as far as she was concerned.

"I don't think so sweetheart." Lemon said in an almost chastising manner. Her true personality slipping through as opposed to the carefree Roxy Rundlin that she was opting to be for the night. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the timid yet curious look she was being given by the still nameless redhead. "What I mean is he's a tough one to crack. He doesn't express himself much, if at all." She explained watching the young woman's features soften into an understanding manner.

"Fair enough but I know what I saw...and I'd give anythin' for a guy to look at me like I was the only girl in the room." The young girl beamed with a wistful smile. Lemon was sure that if she hadn't been the one on Wade's arm for the night, that the girl a couple stools down would've surely taken an opportunity to take Lemon's position. "You should ask him to dance, if he dances with ya then you'll know for sure."

Lemon released a incredulous chuckle before casting a half drunken gaze the pretty girl's way. "Is that so?" One brow quirked up with her question, though due to her inebriation she wasn't sure if it came across the way she had planned.

Despite her botched expression, the perky redhead's mouth was plastered in an eager smile while she nodded her head vigorously. "I saw it in a movie once." She commented with a overly trite tone that let Lemon know the girl had watched far too many romantic comedies and seemed convinced of every word that she was spewing.

"Miss me?" Wade quipped jokingly, Lemon's posture straightened at the sound of his voice and the close proximity their bodies had as he had his head just above her exposed shoulder. He shot a smile to the girl chatting with Lemon before moving to take his seat. His calloused hand slipping back around the bottom of the beer bottle which Lemon had found herself staring at for some very odd and unexplainable reason.

"Is my hand really that interestin'?" Wade commented with a clever chuckle to which Lemon turned her head away, and peered over her shoulder. Her eyes taking in the array of people shuffling along the dance floor with the bright neon lights illuminating them. Limbs moved freely to the the twang of the music and boots stomped rhythmically against the hardwood.

She looked on with a faint smile upon her lips and without even realizing it, swaying her shoulders along with the Miranda Lambert song. It was moments like this where she wished George was more gifted in the rhythm department. He could hold a tune without a problem, but when it came down to stepping out on the dance floor and moving his body to music was not one of them.

"You just gonna watch 'em or are ya gonna go out there and join 'em?" Wade asked from his spot next to her, immediately noticing her bouncing shoulders and entranced gaze. He turned his body so he had his back to the bar and his view was now the dance floor. His arm lightly brushed against hers as he grabbed the beer bottle from on top of the bar.

"I was thinkin' about it." She commented before pursing her lips lightly together, mulling over what the young redhead had said. Her curiosity was starting to get the best of her and she could feel the words creeping up her throat. When they finally left her lips all she could do was wait for Wade's response. "You joinin' me?" Lemon hopped to her feet and extended a hand and invitation his way. She cocked an eyebrow at him, flashing him an expectant look.

Lemon almost wished she had brought a camera with her because Wade's awe-struck expression was something she'd love to relive and mock for future purposes. His look of surprise soon transitioned into one of amusement with a cute half smirk to boot. He tipped his bottle of beer her way, praising her for her effort but politely declining the tempting invitation with a shake of his head.

"Wade Kinsella don't dance in public. Nice try, Lemon." He commented with a wink before leaning his back against the bar and his bottle of beer pressed to his lips. Lemon chuckled lightly at the fact that hanging around Lavon was clearly rubbing off on Wade, if he was now referring to himself in third person.

Lemon's eyes remained locked on him and his on her, a wordless stare down between the two old friends. Her icy blue stare was breaking him, she could tell. He squirmed in his seat under her unwavering gaze. His body shifted and his eyes dropped down to the almost empty bottle of beer, hiding from the less than friendly stare that was set upon him. She was just about to give up on him when a perky female voice interrupted.

"You ain't gonna let her dance on her own now are ya?" The redhead's southern drawl asked. Both blondes turned their heads in her direction, a bright smile on her young freckled face. "Ya'll are so cute together." She continued with a dreamy look in her eye. Wade cast Lemon a weary look, as if asking her what was up with the lost in dreamland girl just a few stools away.

His face goes blank for a brief moment as if something else has caught his eye. Lemon glanced over her shoulder to see Ed, Joelle's ex-boyfriend staring at them. Wade put on a large smile before chugging the rest of his beer and slamming the empty on the bar. Lemon turned her head just in time to watch him get to his feet faster than Lemon thought was good for him. Before she could protest, Wade's calloused fingers were wrapped around her wrist and she was being dragged onto the busy dance floor.

"One dance." He told her pointedly, his face closer than usual and she can smell the cheap beer on his breath. With a furrowed brow Lemon catches the redhead giving her a thumbs up before Wade spins her around. She couldn't fight the smile from forming on her lips and a hearty laugh leave her throat.

He spun her several times before he had her hand laced with his and his other had rested lightly on the small of her back. She threw her head back as she comes down with the case of the giggles, in large part due to the alcohol surging through her body and also the fact that the room had begun spinning.

She sways her body along with the tempo of the song coming from the jukebox but it doesn't take long for her body to fall lazily into his. Lemon was surprised that both of them managed to move their feet in sync rather quickly, or possibly in her drunken stupor it merely seemed that way.

Regardless, Wade wasn't stomping on her feet like George typically did when he lost count of his steps. With Wade, it was effortless and easy, something Lemon Breeland wasn't accustomed to.

"Do you do this with all the girls?" She questioned, her mind still drifting back to what the girl at the bar had said. She peered up at him with a curious gaze. "Dance with 'em and reel 'em in I mean." One side of her mouth curved upwards as she felt his chest move when he laughed.

"You're drunk." He stated matter of factly, but a playful grin lingered on his lips.

"Maybe, but this is the most fun I've had in a long time. Thank you, Wade. I really needed this." Lemon cooed as the upbeat tempo song switched to a slower, melodic one that he wasn't familiar with. During the transition, her head had somehow situated itself on his shoulder. The worn material of his plaid button up was soft against her cheek, almost like a pillow, while her eyes fluttered closed.

"Did you hear me?" Lemon asked, pointing a sharp finger into his chest, her nail causing a mild but sharp pain at the abrupt contact. He mumbled a soft curse under his breath before the woman in his arms lifted her blonde head from his shoulder.

Big blue eyes stared up at him from under thick black lashes and an unmistakable drunken haze. He opens his mouth to speak but she continues before he gets the opportunity. "That girl at the bar...the redhead, you know what she said?" Lemon buries herself back into his chest, acting as if she hadn't already asked him a question. He goes along with it because she's drunk and he isn't quite sure if Lemon Breeland drunk is equally as lethal as she is when she's sober.

"Tell me." He smiles, amused with her drunken rambling. It's been way too long since he's seen her in this state; relaxed, calm, content. It's a state that rarely is associated with her, so he takes his time to enjoy it while it's still in front of him.

"She said you were lookin' at me funny," Lemon giggled girlishly into his chest, her body shaking as she did so. "as if you _liked _me. Isn't that the silliest thing?" Her southern twang a little more prominent than usual due to her inebriation. Wade tried his damnedest to keep his cool, with a hearty laugh he simply agreed with Lemon before shifting his eyes to the lonely redhead at the bar who had revealed his one and only secret to the woman in his arms.

Lately he'd wondered what the harm in her knowing would really be, at least he'd have the weight of it off his chest and he could finally know either way, good or bad. He could move on knowing she was happy with his best friend and that George Tucker and Lemon Breeland were truly the fairytale that the town of Bluebell had always deemed them to be.

But then he thought of January of junior year, him and Lemon had become closer friends since homecoming three months prior, and she seemed happier. They hung out all the time, sometimes with George and sometimes just the two of them; just sharing laughs and enjoying the perks of their small town. Wade was on the brink of asking her out himself but he was doomed with his poor timing and George had struck up the nerve to ask her out before he had his chance. He had never seen her as happy as she looked that day when he was walking towards her locker only to see Lemon's lips in a wide smile while George awkwardly fumbled his words out.

They remained friends but Wade found it hard to be as close to her after that, so he distanced himself and kept his mind busy on the hundreds of other girls roaming the town. He gained a reputation over the years but that didn't phase him, he'd rather be known as a womanizer than the one to get in the middle of George and Lemon's love story. As much as he cared for her and as much as he wished he could tell her the god honest truth, he just couldn't put, not only her, but his best friend through that.

"It's been more than one song." He said a moment later, one hand firmly planted on each shoulder as he pushed her body away from his own. With alcohol in his blood, albeit not very much but still some, and even more alcohol in hers, he wasn't sure if their current predicament was appropriate. Wade was better off getting her home to her fiance. He was sure that deep down they both knew that but he was the only one in the right frame of mind to actually make it happen.

Lemon's face shifted into a frown, her bottom lip jutting out to form a pout that he shouldn't have found attractive. But when he did, he was even more positive that getting her home was the best course of action. Wade left her there on the dance floor all by herself, her blue eyes watching as he reclaimed his spot at the bar. It wasn't until the next up tempo song began did he cast a glance over his shoulder and caught her denim clad body moving fluently with the music.

Wade pondered for a moment, before he pulled out his cell phone and casually dialed George Tucker's number. All the while keeping his eye on the man's fiance who looked lost in her own world.

* * *

><p>"You got a keeper here my friend." Joelle's ex, Ed stated after giving Wade a long explanation of Joelle's craziness, praising the good girl that Wade had on his arm. "To Roxy." Ed chimed with the raise of his cheap bottle of beer.<p>

Wade chuckled, as himself, Lemon and Ed clinked their respective beer bottles. Ed turned away from the pair and Wade couldn't help but let out a bewildered laugh as Lemon nudged her shoulder to his. A drunken smirk was gracing her normally stern pursed lips and a small feminine giggle left her throat.

"Thank you, Lemon." Wade said honestly. He knew that she didn't have to say yes to his rather unusual proposition but she did and she made it believable."You uh—you went above and beyond." She replied with the clink of her bottle before he brought his to his lips.

"You deserve better you know." She said suddenly, Wade almost immediately turned his gaze to her and caught the pondering look on her face. He furrowed his brows as if it were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard her say, when in fact it wasn't even close.

"What are you talking about?" He tried to play it off like he had no idea what she was talking about but he'd have to be denser than Tom Long to not to realize what she was trying to tell him. His assumption was only confirmed with her next words.

"I'm talkin' about Joelle." Wade could practically see Lemon's nose turn up at the mere mention of his current girl. "Burnin' a mans lawn cause she was jealous, she's real classy with a K." Lemon quipped, an obvious distaste for Wade's choice in women had always been present.

She had never been real keen on Tansy, but they never hated one another either. She had always told Wade they weren't right for one another, he'd just been to damn stubborn to listen to her. There had been many in between but most recently Lemon seemed to dislike Zoe more than any of the others, though Wade figured that her hatred for the small doctor had more to do with George than himself. He wasn't quite sure what Lemon had against Joelle other than what she had just witnessed, but he wasn't about to tell her she was wrong either.

"Well thank you but uh—you're drunk." Wade tried to contain the smile creeping onto his mouth but he was truly enjoying his evening alone and in public, with Lemon Breeland and he couldn't help but smile because of it.

"I am," She agreed confidently, but her head looked as if it were ready to find the closest thing to lean on and pass out. "but drunk or not Wade, I know you." Her voice was soft and sweet, her vulnerable side making its very rare appearance. Her big blue eyes were staring at him, he could feel them burning into him with something he couldn't quite pinpoint. Wade began to feel slightly uncomfortable so he turned his face away and looked towards the entrance of the bar.

"We were friends once, in high school..." His mind wandered back to the times of young Wade Kinsella's friendship with Lemon Breeland, at times he wished it were still as simple as it was way back then. Wade was aware of what he'd have to do once he got home, though he was mildly worried about his prized possessions going up in flames or being smashed to smithereens. In the end though he did deserve better but how did he get better when basically everything he was looking for was currently right beside him and belonged to his best friend.

"I always thought you would rise above your upbringing and have a life as big as your heart." Her drawl softening with each passing breath, and her eyes held the same drunken haze as they had when they were dancing.

Wade lightly bit down on his bottom lip as he took her honest words. He could smell the faint scent of her perfume mixed with the smell of whiskey and cheap beer as she shifted her upper body closer to his. Wade's jaw tightened as he turned himself back towards her reluctantly, being so close was dangerous but she was completely and utterly oblivious.

"I believe that you deserve better, even if you think you don't." She told him softly, a hint of a smile on her pink lips as she rested her head comfortably against Wade's shoulder and her eyes fluttered closed. Wade was admittedly in shock, he hadn't expected Lemon to blindside him like that. She had sounded so genuine, it was quite possibly the nicest thing she had ever said to him and it meant more to him than she probably knew.

It was with that last sentence that Wade felt convinced to say something about the emotions painfully building up inside him. The way she had been looking at him all night could have easily been blamed on the alcohol but there had to be a reason behind it. Wade couldn't deny that the curiosity of it all was almost too much to handle. He was beginning to feel like he had a chance, and that if she knew how he felt that he wouldn't be completely shut down and thrown to the side like he though he would.

Wade brought his beer bottle to his lips and let a generous amount of carbonated liquid slide down his throat before he licked his lips clean of the residue. He opened his mouth to begin just as a new song was starting up and if he didn't say it soon he'd be drowned out by the music.

"Oh, what?" Lemon bellowed from beside him, he turned his head just in time to watch her face light up. With a large smile on her face and a sudden burst of energy, Lemon sat upright and smacked his arm before launching herself back onto the dance floor. "Achy-breaky heart look out!"

Wade inhaled a deep breath, before turning on his stool to stare out after her. Another chance come and gone. He began to wonder if this was fate's way of telling him that it just wasn't meant to be.

* * *

><p>And the drama keeps coming, will Wade tell her before she walks herself down the aisle? Let me know what you think and I'll try to update sooner than last, I apologize immensely for that long wait. And I won't be brushing over the LemonLavon situation or any of the Wade/Zoe stuff that happened at the end of the season, just so everyone's aware. I'm trying to follow canon as much as I can. Until next time... :)


	5. You Okay?

The moment Lemon caught sight of Zoe Hart, she knew that her night had hit rock bottom. She had been so engulfed in the fact that Zoe was there she barely noticed Wade loitering behind her. It wasn't until she was watched the female doctor step inside Harold Tucker's hospital room that she felt his presence at her side. Neither one said hello, they merely exchanged a quick glance before diverting their attention back to the gesture taking place at Mr. Tucker's bedside.

"You alright?" Wade questioned softly, the background noise of heart monitors and the tennis shoes of the nurses and doctors making their rounds was quickly becoming the soundtrack to their solemn night.

Lemon looked away from the scene before her, George and Zoe's hand interlocked in what seemed like a more than just friendly gesture. Her painted red lips were pressed into a firm line while her kohl rimmed eyes remained strong and focused, not letting Wade see her bothered in the slightest. Despite her vital attempts at masking her heartache, he had seen the look in her eyes the moment he brought Zoe Hart into the waiting room of the hospital. He was just waiting for her to snap on him simply due to the fact that he was the cause of the scene before them.

"Peachy." She quipped with her sharp Lemon like tone. "Of course I'm not." A scowl was etched into her hardened features.

Wade sighed, holding up his hands in a defensive manner, the last thing he wanted was a hostile Lemon Breeland on his hands. The situation was already stressful enough, he didn't need anything else to make it worse.

"I only asked because you're the only one that can understand how much seein' them like that hurts." He breathed, watching Lemon's harsh expression soften significantly.

Despite his feelings for the woman across from him, he still was trying his damnedest to move on and he thought Zoe Hart would've been a step in the right direction. The young doctor just so happened to be charming and always up for a good laugh which had caught his eye rather early on.

But now to see her looking at George Tucker the way she was and the whispers going around town of the speech that she had delivered at the M.O.T.Y. dinner at Lavon's, only made him realize that he was no competition when George Tucker was involved. Not with Zoe Hart and certainly not with Lemon Breeland.

_He sure knew how to pick 'em._

Lemon leaned herself against the wall, her tired head tilting back so that it also was supported. Her eyes slipped closed as she felt tears begin to form and squeezed them so tight she hoped to stop them from falling. After the day she had of debating whether or not to let her fiance know of her biggest, darkest secret, she was lucky that she had managed compose herself long enough to even make it to the Man Of The Year celebration let alone the hospital in one mentally stable piece. And then to be blamed by her said fiance of causing his fathers heart attack was truly taking its toll on her emotionally exhausted frame.

"You want some coffee or somethin'?" Wade asked, stealing a glance at her tense and uptight expression, it wasn't unusual but if he could help her relax a little he'd much rather see her smile. Lemon's eyes fluttered open slowly, but she kept blinking to rid the tears from her eyes and shook her head at his question.

With a steady stance she moved back to the window that looked into Mr. Tucker's hospital room, George and Zoe still had their hands clasped together as they watched the rise and fall of Mr. Tucker's chest. Lemon couldn't help but stare, as if staring long enough would make them break apart even though she knew that it wouldn't unless she physically went in there and did it herself.

"Look, I know you wanna stick 'round for George and all but maybe you need a change of scenery." Wade came up behind her and placed his hands on the sides of her arms. Lemon's gaze faltered from her fiance and the female doctor then moved to the man behind her, her eyes looking like she was on the brink of giving up. She didn't even need to answer him as he took that as she was willing to go anywhere if she didn't have to watch Zoe with her fiance any longer.

Lemon must have been overcome with emotion because the next thing she knew she was being lead through a darkened hallway. On their way, they passed a quieter than usual Magnolia, her head down and coffee in her hand as she told Lemon not tell her father where she was. Wade insisted that they wouldn't tell and continued guiding Lemon until they reached the coffee machine in a dimmed and vacant wing of the hospital.

Within a couple minutes she was sitting on a cheaply made chair that looked way past their prime with a cup of hot coffee in her hand. Wade sat next to her, a cup in his hand as well, but he was looking around the small, and empty, corridor as if the room was far more interesting than it actually was. The sounds were still the same as before but the scenery was without a doubt better than back where they had been. They sat silently for several minutes, Lemon let her coffee cool slightly before taking large mouthfuls in attempt to ward off sleep.

"Feelin' any better?" Wade asked, even though his eyes were looking to his left. He turned his head back, a meek half smile creeping its way across his lips though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Lemon shifted in her seat, and rolled her neck to one side to rid of the stiffness that had built up. "George hates me, and the only person he wants to see right now is Zoe Hart. I'm feelin' much better, Wade, thank you." She shot back sharply, not intending to snap at him but more so at her self proclaimed arch nemesis Doctor Hart. "I'm sorry...it's been a long day." She answered with a defeated and exhausted breath.

Wade cracked a sarcastic smile and released a scoff from his throat as he recalled Brick basically calling him trash while he scolded Magnolia. "Tell me about it." He took a hesitant sip of his sugarless and cream-less coffee, wincing at the bitter yet hot taste that filled his palate.

"What happened?" Lemon asked, sounding more than genuine in her questioning though Wade was unsure if he should really open that can of worms. She was already dealing with a lot, the last he wanted to do was tell her that her father had basically said his company wasn't worth keeping.

"I was helpin' Magnolia with somethin' for the M.O.T.Y." Wade explained softly, doing his best to sound nonchalant. "Let's just say Brick wasn't too fond of me and Magnolia bein' friends." He flashed a meek and forced smile as Lemon's gaze only softened upon hearing it. "Does he even know _we're_ friends again?"

"I—I don't think so. What did he say?" Lemon's posture straightened and her piercing eyes narrowed suspiciously. He could tell already that she was getting worked up, and Wade feared if he told her she'd surely lose what little coolness she had left in her.

Wade could only assume that if Brick didn't want him around Magnolia, then surely that would apply to him with Lemon as well. But Wade knew as well as anyone that if there was anything Lemon Breeland hated, it was when people told her what to do.

Wade shook his head. "It don't matter now, Breeland. He was just bein' a protective father. Guess it just surprised me." He casually shut it down, Lemon's features seemed to fade rather quickly but a quizzical look remained. "Not really used to it and all." He finished with a shrug of his shoulders and halfhearted chuckle.

"How is your daddy?" She asked softly, the tone of her voice and the way she had said 'daddy' reminded him somewhat of a small child. The amount of emotional extremes the woman beside him could through in such a short amount of time literally stunned him.

Lemon had known Earl Kinsella all her life, she had seen him before his drastic turn into climbing onto rooftops and days spent stumbling around town with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. She chose to remember him as the hard working father who spent countless hours providing for his wife and two sons, and the man who had dressed up to play Santa a handful of times after she had started grade school.

"I'm just askin' because every time I see him..." She trailed off, unsure of how to word it without coming off too harsh or blunt.

"He's drunk." Wade finished for her without even the slightest hesitation. His father's alcoholism wasn't something he could hide, he had accepted it years ago but he couldn't say it didn't bother him."Old kook, can't even go one day without it." Wade scoffed, shrugging the matter off as if there were no underlying issues there.

Lemon knew Wade better than that, he cared. He just hated admitting it, a trait that seemed to be common in the Kinsella men.

"You two used to be so close." Lemon mused, recalling a time when the father and son were always walking around town with their fishing poles and tackle boxes. A cookie cutter example of the ideal father and son relationship which along the way had turned inexplicably sour.

"Before my mama passed." Wade pointed out the pivotal moment that had changed the course of not only his but also Earl's and Jesse's, forever. That one monumental event of his past had help mold him into the man he was today, both in positives and negatives.

The passing of Joy Lynn Kinsella had sent shock waves through out Bluebell and well into Mobile and several smaller municipalities. The Kinsella men had never been the same, gone were the days of a happy childhood and not having a care in the world. At the young age of nine years old, Wade had found himself without a mother and had been left to look after an alcoholic father with an angry and confused older sibling.

The death had taken its toll and by the time he hit sophomore year in high school Wade had already gotten himself the reputation as the resident bad boy of Bluebell. Pretending as if the passing of his mother and the emotional absence of his father didn't phase him in the least. Suffice to say, it didn't take long for Wade to perfect that art, if you could even call it that.

Through it all though, he had learned that he never wanted to end up like his old man. He refused to. Wade was fairly positive the alcohol was merely a means of numbing and medicating the pain, the true trigger of his fathers downward spiral had been because he lost the love of his life. Earl had been so in love with Joy Lynn that his life had seemed meaningless without her. Wade couldn't fathom feeling so strongly for one person, though his fear of being vulnerable with a woman only to be cruelly torn from her was in large part why he didn't quite understand it. He hadn't ever been close enough to someone to get it, and he was starting to think he never would. That he was merely destined to be the lowly bartender who idly stood by while everyone else lived their lives.

Darkness had over taken Wade's features, his mind elsewhere, and Lemon recognized it as a look similar to her own whenever thoughts of her mother passed through her mind. She wasn't sure how to help him, her heart hurt for him and she desperately wanted to make it better. With that feeling, she suddenly realized that she had put Wade in this very situation on more than one occasion.

Lemon did the only thing that came to mind, she slipped her free on top of his and held it with her own securely. "You okay?" She asked sweetly, her nails scratching lightly against the back of his hand.

Wade's eyes were set on his cup of coffee, secretly wishing it was a beer in his hand rather than caffeine. He inwardly cringed over how much he sounded like his old man, sometimes he thought he may end up like Earl just by default.

Wade snapped himself out of his somber thoughts, his mind immediately focused on the light grazing on his hand. His eyes took in the sight of his large, rough and tumbled hand wrapped in her much smaller and delicate one that showed off a perfect french manicure and engagement ring.

He stared for a brief moment, silently wondering just how either of them had gotten here. She was one half of a couple that Bluebell, if they had royalty; herself and George Tucker would be it while he was a screw up with no clear direction in life other than possibly becoming his old man.

Yet here they were clinging to each other and didn't even give it a second thought as they revealed their parental issues aloud. They were so different; she was prim and proper whereas he was sarcastic and careless; and somehow they related easier than she did with George or he with any of the lengthy string of women from his past.

Wade cleared his throat gently. "Right as rain." He forced out even though it was far from the truth, a lazy smile eased it ways across his mouth. Lemon let out a faint sigh as she released his hand then furrowed her brows as if she didn't understand his answer.

"You know I never quite understood that sayin'." She mused before taking a small sip of her much cooler coffee, not minding the bitterness of it in the slightest. "How is rain right?" Lemon let a smile cross her crimson lips, her pearly whites nearly blinding in contrast.

Wade stifled a laugh as she seemed very interested in the reasoning behind the old saying but kept quiet cause he didn't really have an answer for her. He appreciated her attempt at lightening the mood.

"I, for one, don't find it right, especially if it rains on my weddin' day." She rambled but caught herself and a defeat look took over her features. "If George even wants to marry me still." Lemon mumbled just loud enough for Wade to catch over one of the nurses paging a doctor to the second floor nursing station.

"Y'all are the fucking royalty of Bluebell, Lemon." Wade said letting his words slip out freely, he wasn't about to let her doubt her up coming nuptials. She had spent so much time and energy putting it together that it'd be a shame for her not to get her perfect day.

"You and George will get married, I'll be there watchin' and it'll damn well make Will and Kate's look like Rilda Ann's trailer park weddin' last July." Lemon almost choked on her laugh as she recalled the god awful wedding that had taken place on a hot sticky day in July of the previous year. It took a moment but after she got over her amusement of what he said, she raised a curious brow, not hiding her shock that Wade Kinsella knew the names of Britain's future royalty.

"I can only hope so." Lemon agreed but knew without a shadow of a doubt that with her luck there was bound to be something to derail the wedding, at least temporarily. The pair were silent a moment, Wade sipped idly on his coffee while Lemon contemplated where her and fiance currently stood.

So much had happened within twenty-four hours. She found out that Lavon had gone and told Doctor Hart about their torrid affair which had led her to believe she had to tell George before Zoe had her chance. In the midst of that, there was the hesitance she had felt about Mr. Tucker's presence and warned George of the fact which had only led to the reason she was sitting in a hospital well after midnight.

She could only imagine the anguish that George would've been enduring had she chosen to tell him about the affair and then the heart attack had taken place. Lemon was sure she'd rightly be a single woman with a unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet by the end of the night had she did as planned. However, another part of her wished that she had, merely because she'd have nothing left to hide from him. The weight holding her down would finally be lifted and she could proceed with her life knowing she was free from any secrets.

"Wade?" Lemon breathed softly, her voice coming out barely above a whisper. She needed to know what to do, and the only person she felt perfectly comfortable with was sitting next to her.

"Hmm?" Wade replied with a sound as he had a mouthful of hot liquid.

Lemon paused before taking a large breath in and exhaled slowly. "If I told you somethin'...could you keep it between us?" She pondered before shifting her eyes over to him, a curious but intrigued look graced his features.

"Always do." He countered quickly, adding in a half smile for good measure. Lemon smiled back before clearing her throat to begin her long and complicated ordeal.

"I haven't told George yet but I—"

"Lemon!" Brick's voice called from the end of the hallway, both Lemon and Wade looked up as he walked towards them rather quickly. Lemon promptly pressed her lips together and tried to act like everything was fine even though it felt like everything was crumbling down around her. "There you are sweetheart I've been lookin' everywhere for you."

Lemon abruptly got to her feet and Wade followed, but he kept his eyes downcast in fear of upsetting Brick Breeland for the second time in forty-eight hours. "Wade was just keepin' me company while I rambled." She laughed nervously, garnering a weary look from Wade but her father thought nothing of it.

"The nurse brought you girls from blankets if you're tired." He explained, darting his eyes between his daughter and the Rammer Jammer's resident bartender. "Magnolia's already made herself comfortable. Do ya mind if I talk to Wade alone?"

"Okay, daddy." Lemon shook her head before she stepped forward to kiss Brick's cheek gently. Before she left, Lemon cast Wade an apologetic glance to which smiled as a silent assurance that he was fine. Brick moved aside for Lemon to pass by and head back towards the waiting area, both men watched the tall blonde descend until she was out of sight and could no longer hear the clicking of her heels.

"Thank you." Brick said suddenly, catching Wade completely off guard. At first he thought he was hearing the man wrong but by the sheepish look upon Brick's face, Wade knew that he had heard right. "I apologize for sayin' all those things to you."

"Dr. Breeland—"

"Brick." He interrupted with a half smile. "You're not eight years old anymore,Wade. We're both adults and it's because I'm an adult that I sincerely say I'm sorry for all those things I said. Tonight you proved me wrong." Brick extended his left hand to the younger man, Wade stared for a moment before replying.

"I appreciate it." Wade smiled softly as he shook Brick Breeland's hand. "Brick." He stifled a chuckle before he began to head back towards the waiting room to sit, or leave. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.

"Your momma would be proud son." Brick managed to say before Wade got too far. Wade stopped in his tracks; it was the first time in a long time that anyone had taken a moment to tell him that. Joy Lynn Kinsella had been a staple in Bluebell but few spoke about her, at least in his presence. His father talked about his mother all the time but never in the way that Brick was currently. Wade cast a thoughtful look Brick's way, a wistful smile crossing his lips.

Brick didn't realize it but he had just made Wade's day a little better. "Thank you sir, that means a lot."

* * *

><p><em>So not an overly shippy chapter but the next one will definitely focus more so on the relationship between Lemon and Wade, this one kinda set up and explained a few things before I set some things in motion. Let me know what you think, please? :)<em>


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